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Grizzlies’ Gasol, Green to Play in NBA Africa Game

By Christian Dudley

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February 2, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) blocks the shot of Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) as Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) defends during the fourth quarter at US Airways Center. The Grizzlies defeated the Suns 102-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol and Jeff Green will both participate in the NBA’s first ever game played in Africa.

The National Basketball Association will be hosting the first ever NBA game in the country of Africa on August 1st, 2015. This showdown will take place at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa and will benefit several charitable organizations in Africa.

The Memphis Grizzlies posted the full press release on their website regarding the event. The following information was stated within their message:

"The sold-out NBA Africa Game 2015 will feature a Team Africa vs. Team World format and will be played in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages Association of South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The game will air live in the U.S. on ESPN at 8 a.m. CT and in Africa on SuperSport at 3 p.m. CAT.Team Africa, comprised of players born in Africa and second-generation African players, will feature team captain and two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng (Miami Heat; Great Britain; born in South Sudan), Al-Farouq Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.; parents from Nigeria), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; parents from Nigeria), Nicolas Batum (Charlotte Hornets; France; parent from Cameroon), Bismack Biyombo (Toronto Raptors; Democratic Republic of the Congo), Boris Diaw (San Antonio Spurs; France; parent from Senegal), Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves; Senegal), Festus Ezeli (Golden State Warriors; Nigeria), Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder; Congo)*, and Luc Mbah a Moute (Sacramento Kings; Cameroon).Team World, comprised of players from the rest of the world, will feature team captain, NBPA President and eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers; U.S.), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards; U.S.), Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets; U.S.), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies; Spain), Pau Gasol (Chicago Bulls; Spain), Jeff Green (Memphis Grizzlies; U.S.), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics; U.S.), Evan Turner (Boston Celtics; U.S.) and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic; Montenegro).Five-time NBA Champion Gregg Popovich will coach Team Africa, with 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams serving as assistant coaches. Brooklyn Nets General Manager Billy King and Toronto Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri are the Team Africa general managers, with Eric Waters (Washington Wizards) serving as the team’s athletic trainer.Brooklyn Nets Coach Lionel Hollins will coach Team World, with Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens serving as assistant coach. San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford is the Team World general manager, while Keon Weise (Orlando Magic) will be the team’s athletic trainer.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will attend the game along with NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and NBA Africa Ambassador Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria)."

The press release can be read in its entirety here.

Despite taking a seat and skipping this year’s Eurobasket, Marc Gasol will in fact be partaking in the NBA’s Africa Game with Memphis Grizzlies teammate Jeff Green and other NBA stars.

February 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Eastern Conference forward Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (16, left) and Western Conference center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (33) battle for rebound position during the second quarter of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden. The West defeated the East 163-158. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Green and Marc Gasol will not be the only two familiar faces to Grizz Nation in the exhibition game. Former Grizzly legend and Marc Gasol’s elder sibling, Pau Gasol, will also be making an appearance.

That is not all. One of the coaches for the NBA Africa Game will be former Memphis Grizzlies’ and current Brooklyn Nets’ Head Coach Lionel Hollins. Yes, Hollins will be coaching Marc Gasol’s squad–a very interesting and very intriguing storyline for all Grizz fans to watch. It will be quite the reunion to say the least.

Overall, it is a very special cast of players and coaches. The talent level for the groundbreaking game spans from NBA All-Stars to bench contributors. Some of the players have international backgrounds while others do not. While this event is not nearly as star-studded as NBA All-Star Weekend, it looks to be a major hit.

The league has been pushing for decades to expand basketball across many different borders and now they look to swarm in on Africa, which is home for quite a few current NBA players that have formed themselves into household names in American homes.

Additionally, this is yet another major opportunity for the Memphis Grizzlies to gain popularity around the world. Marc Gasol is an infamous face amongst international basketball fans while Jeff Green will be able to make a name for himself.

All in all, it will be an awesome experience for the Gasol brothers, Jeff Green, and others. The two current Grizzlies will surely make Grizz Nation proud when they dominate the court on August 1st.

The National Basketball Association states that “the game will air live in the U.S. on ESPN at 9:00 a.m. ET and in Africa on SuperSport at 3:00 p.m. CAT.”

Continue to check Beale Street Bears for the latest news, rumors, and other info of the offseason regarding your Memphis Grizzlies!

Go Grizz!

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