The 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) (www.BAL.NBA.com) Playoffs tipped off on Friday, May 22 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, and will culminate with the 2026 BAL Finals on Sunday, May 31 at 6:00 p.m. CAT. For the complete schedule, click here (https://apo-opa.co/4dL0rt5).
Eight teams have qualified for the Playoffs: Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Ahly Ly (Libya), ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal), Club Africain (Tunisia), Dar City (Tanzania), FUS Rabat (Morocco), 2024 BAL champion Petro de Luanda (Angola) and the RSSB Tigers (Rwanda), with the top four teams advancing to the single-game semifinals and Finals.
The Playoffs and Finals are livestreaming to fans around the world on www.NBA.com, the NBA App, and www.BAL.NBA.com. Tickets are on sale now at www.BAL.NBA.com.
Below are facts and figures about the 2026 BAL season:
- 722,000,000 – Heading into the Playoffs, the BAL’s social media channels had generated more than 722 million views this season, a record for group phase play.
- 1,073 – On April 5, Petro de Luanda’s Childe Dundão became the all-time BAL record holder for minutes played with 1,073 minutes across all six BAL seasons.
- 75,000 – Nearly 75,000 fans attended the Kalahari Conference and Sahara Conference group phases in South Africa and Morocco, respectively, a record for group phase play in those countries.
- 1,000 – BAL games have generated a 1,000% year-over-year increase in total watch time on BAL.NBA.com and the NBA App.
- 215 – Al Ahly Ly and Dar City combined to score a BAL record 215 points in Al Ahly Ly’s 118-97 victory on March 31.
- 214 – BAL games reach fans in 214 countries and territories, including all 54 countries in Africa.
- 200 – The BAL celebrated its 200th game on April 1 when Petro de Luanda defeated Nairobi City Thunder 97-70.
- 54 – RSSB Tigers guard Craig Randall II scored a BAL-record 54 points in a loss to Dar City on April 4.
- 30 – Thirty players who competed at FIBA AfroBasket 2025 are participating in the Playoffs.
- 22 – A record 22 marketing, merchandising and institutional partners have supported the BAL this season: AB InBev; Afreximbank; Air Senegal; Amazon Web Services; Bank of Kigali; Fédération Royale Marocaine de BasketBall; FLEXX; the French Embassy of Senegal; Greenride Africa; Hyundai; the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sport; Office National Marocain du Tourisme; PUMA; Qatar Foundation; QAVS; Rwanda Development Board; RwandAir; Rwanda Events; ServiceNow; South African Tourism; Wave; and Wilson.
- 11 – Eleven of the 16 teams that competed at FIBA AfroBasket 2025 have at least one player in the Playoffs.
- 8 – A record eight former NBA players have competed in the BAL this season: Damion Baugh and Donovan Williams (Al Ahly Ly), Michael Foster Jr. (Dar City), Mangok Mathiang (RSSB Tigers), Kevin Murphy (Al Ahly), Chasson Randle (Petro de Luanda), Hasheem Thabeet (Dar City) and Axel Toupane (ASC Ville de Dakar). Toupane is the first NBA champion to play in the BAL, having won the 2021 NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks.
- 5 – Five players have competed in all six BAL seasons: Abdoulaye Harouna (FUS Rabat), Ater Majok (ASC Ville de Dakar), Gerson Domingos (Petro de Luanda), Dundão and Solo Diabate (ASC Ville de Dakar).
- 3 – Baugh became the first player in BAL history to record a triple-double in his first BAL season, finishing with 11 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in a 110-72 win over Dar City on April 4.
- 2 – On May 3, Al Ahly defeated FUS Rabat 77-71 in the second double-overtime game in BAL history.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Basketball Africa League (BAL).
About the BAL:
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its sixth season in March, 2026. Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized across the continent and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America. Fans can follow the BAL (@theBAL) on Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4uBnKg0), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4dwErmI), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4dLk97O), X (https://apo-opa.co/4v9rpBC), and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4wMkaB4) and register their interest in receiving more information at www.BAL.NBA.com.
