Nazr Mohammed Selected to Play in NBA Africa Game on August 1st

Nazr Mohammed announces today he has been selected to participate in the “Basketball Without Borders” program and first NBA Africa Game on August 1st at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mohammed, whose father is from Ghana, will join other players in serving as coaches to sixty of the best 18 and under male players from the continent of Africa. On the last day, he will take to the court playing for TEAM AFRICA against TEAM WORLD in front of 4,500 fans.

TEAM AFRICA, which consists of first and second –generation African basketball players, includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nicholas Batum, Boris Diaw, Gorgui Dieng, Luol Deng, Serge Ibaka, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Festus Ezeli, Bismack Biyombo, and Al Farouq Aminu.

TEAM WORLD, which consists of players from the rest of the world, includes Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Chris Paul, Nik Vukevic, Brad Beal, Kenneth Faried, Evan Turner, and Jeff Green.

Ambassadors include Hakeem Olajuowon, Dikembe Mutombo, Ruth Riley, and Ebony Hoffman. The NBA Africa Game will be played to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages Association of South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Mohammed has played in the NBA since 1998 and has been with the Bulls since 2012.

A Chicago native, he was a member of the 2005 NBA World Champion San Antonio Spurs, and has also played with the Philadelphia 76er’s, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Mohammed graduated in 1995 from Kenwood Academy in the Hyde Park neighborhood, where he developed his basketball talent and love for the game. He continued on to college to play at the University of Kentucky winning championships in 1996 and 1998 before becoming a first‐round draft pick in 1998. This year, Mohammed was awarded “BULL OF THE YEAR” by the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards for his considerable contributions to his team, as well as the Chicago community.

“I feel so honored to be part of this historic event the NBA is hosting in Africa,” explains Mohammed. “Thanks for giving me the opportunity to support my family.”

In addition, on Friday, August 7th, Mohammed will host ALL IN FOR AUTISM Charity Casino Gala from 7:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m. at Galleria Marchetti (825 West Erie Street) in downtown Chicago. The event will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, gambling, raffle and a silent auction to benefit Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago and the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation.

For more information on Nazr Mohammed, please visit his blog at http://nazrmohammed.sportsblog.com or www.nazrmohammed.com.