Power Play: With One Court Africa and UM6P collab, NBPA Foundation sets course on impact investing.

FEATURE STORY - The National Basketball Players Association's inaugural One Court Africa program concluded on June 21, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the organization's strategic expansion into impact investing and African-focused initiatives. The program, conducted in partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco, brought together 13 NBA players from diverse backgrounds to explore leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainable investment opportunities across Africa.

The program represented a deliberate shift from conventional charitable approaches toward equity-based investment strategies designed to generate sustainable returns while addressing critical social challenges. Players participated in comprehensive workshops examining the foundational concepts of liquidity, longevity, and legacy, with particular emphasis on conscious wealth-building and patient capital deployment.“The NBPA is in Africa. That matters. I want to show these players and the world what's possible when we bring the NBA home to the continent,” said Pops Mensah-Bonsu, NBA veteran, BAL ambassador and President of G-League Operations at the New York Knicks. 

"One Court Africa truly represents our players' deep sense of purpose and commitment to growing as leaders off the court," said Matteo Zuretti, NBPA Chief Player Experience Officer. "Partnering with UM6P to host this experience has been a powerful example of cross-cultural collaboration in action."

The curriculum included detailed case studies from Blue Earth Capital, an impact investment firm operating across emerging markets and featured stories of successful ventures such as MoniePoint, a Nigerian fintech unicorn backed by the likes of Google and DPI. The curriculum also included best practices and experiences shared by players who have already invested or ran programs in Africa such as Bismack Biyombo, who has been in the league for 14 seasons. In total the NBA counted 17 players of African nationality in the season that recently ended.

A cornerstone of the program was the Jump Shot: NBPA × UM6P Innovation Challenge, which attracted over 420 applications through a public submission process launched in April 2025. Following rigorous evaluation by NBPA and UM6P selection committees, six high-potential African startups were chosen to present their ventures during the final pitch competition.

The selected startups represent significant geographic diversity across the continent: Debbo , Kodu Technology, xChange Box, Yello, Lima Africa, and Novate. The NBPA Foundation allocated $160,000 in total funding for distribution among the six startups, with Kodu Technology - a social enterprise developing biodegradable sanitary products - emerging as the winner of the $50,000 grand prize. The UM6P Foundation will oversee the distribution process to ensure strategic deployment of resources.

Participating NBA players demonstrated substantial engagement with both the investment education components and cultural reconnection aspects of the program. Los Angeles Lakers star Gabe Vincent articulated the broader philosophy underlying the initiative: "Impact investing means more than just investing. It's about caring for others. It's about trying to grow something that's meaningful".

The One Court Africa program represents a component of the NBPA's expanding engagement with African markets and development initiatives. This strategic focus aligns with broader NBA Africa objectives, including the organization's development of a bespoke league on the continent, the Basketball Africa League and the commitment to construct 1,000 basketball courts across the continent over the next decade.

The collaboration with UM6P builds upon existing NBA Africa partnerships in Morocco, including the hosting of a leg of the Basketball Africa League in Rabat and the recently announced partnership with EvoSport, UM6P’s sports subsidiary, for the planning of Jr. NBA leagues aim to reach 2,000 youth annually. These initiatives collectively demonstrate the organization's commitment to sustainable, long-term investment in African basketball infrastructure and youth development and its strong ties with the Kingdom of Morocco.