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<p><strong>A compelling, eye-opening chronicle of the rise of basketball in modern Africa and the burgeoning talent pipeline poised to transform the NBA</strong></p><p>For a long time, hoop dreams born in Africa felt unattainable. The game had a small presence on the continent, taking a back seat to sports like soccer and track and field. Lacking a clear pathway to the NBA, players such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, and Manute Bol needed extraordinary luck to make it.</p><p>But over the past 30 years, the basketball landscape has transformed dramatically. Fueled by the NBA’s heightened presence and investment, infrastructure has improved, access has expanded, and a pipeline to the best teams in America has been built. The results are beginning to show: at the opening of the 2025–26 NBA season, more than 55 players were from Africa or were first-generation members of the diaspora, including recent MVPs Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That number is expected to climb in the years to come.</p><p>Through extensive reporting on the journeys of four young prospects, <i>New Kings</i> chronicles the rise and future of basketball in Africa. At its core, it is a human story, universal in scope, about hope, perseverance, and the chasing of a dream that no longer feels out of reach.</p>