OBINNA EKEZIE JR. EMERGES DEFENSIVE MVP AT BASKETBALL WITHOUT BORDERS CAMP IN LOS ANGELES

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Agency Report

Obinna Ekezie Jr., son of former Nigerian NBA player Obinna Ekezie, has been named Defensive MVP at the 10th annual Basketball Without Borders All-Star Camp held in Los Angeles, California.

The camp took place on the sidelines of the 75th NBA All-Star Game weekend and featured 40 elite prospects from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The four-day programme was hosted at the UCLA Health Centre, which also serves as the training facility for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ekezie Jr. was also named to the camp’s All-Star Team alongside Cheickh Niang, who plays in Italy and has ties to Senegal, and Caleb Ourigou of Côte d’Ivoire.

Seven top African prospects participated in the camp, representing or having ties to Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal. Among them were Peter Julius (Nigeria), Noah El Baze (Morocco), Ramsey Guessagba-Sato (Central African Republic) and Franck Belibi (Cameroon).

Meanwhile, on the main All-Star stage, two players with African heritage featured prominently in the 75th edition, Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, who has ties to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The revamped All-Star format featured a USA versus World structure, with the USA Stars defeating the USA Stripes 47–21. Anthony Edwards was named the 2026 Kia All-Star MVP. The game reportedly became the most-watched NBA All-Star contest in the United States in 15 years.

Off the court, the Basketball Africa League hosted its annual Business Cocktail, drawing more than 300 industry leaders, NBA legends and cultural figures. Among those in attendance were 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli and NBA legend Charles Smith.

The BAL is preparing for its sixth season, which tips off in South Africa on March 27.

Global icons also graced the All-Star weekend, including South African rugby champion Siya Kolisi and Grammy Award-winning singer Tyla.