There was an underappreciated milestone Tuesday when the All-NBA teams were announced: two players born in the west African nation of Cameroon, Joel Embiid of the 76ers and Pascal Siakam of the Raptors, made the teams, Embiid as a second team selection, Siakam third team. Making it more special was that the announcement came on NBA Africa Day.
It wasn’t just a big deal for Cameroon. It was a milestone for the entire continent’s basketball program and its future. The number of Africans in the NBA is rising and the league is turning its resources to developing more.