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TORONTO (Reuters) - Congolese center Bismack Biyombo did not grow up playing on gleaming hardwood floors in Africa but hopes today's youth will get that chance after the National Basketball Association's first exhibition on the continent.
The former first-round draft pick, who joined the Toronto Raptors earlier this month, is among the glittering array of top NBA talent featured in Saturday's game in South Africa, the U.S.-based league's latest push to reach emerging markets.
But for Biyombo, rather than the game simply helping to draw new fans to basketball, he is hopeful it will provide a platform to give children a chance to learn the sport at a younger age.