Obinna Ekezie Jr Named Defensive MVP at Basketball Without Borders Camp

Obinna Ekezie Junior, son of former Nigerian NBA player Obinna Ekezie, was named Defensive MVP at the 10th annual Basketball Without Borders All-Star Camp. The camp took place in Los Angeles, California, during the 75th NBA All-Star weekend.

Ekezie Jr was also selected for the camp’s All-Star Team alongside Cheickh Niang of Italy, with ties to Senegal, and Caleb Ourigou of Ivory Coast. Seven top African prospects attended the camp, representing Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal. Notable participants included Peter Julius of Nigeria, Noah El Baze of Morocco, Ramsey Guessagba-Sato of the Central African Republic, and Franck Belibi of Cameroon.

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The four-day camp was held at the UCLA Health Centre, also used as the Los Angeles Lakers training facility, and brought together 40 international prospects from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

At the NBA All-Star Game, two players with direct African ties featured Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers, representing Cameroon, and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, with ties to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The game adopted a USA versus World format, with the USA Stars defeating the USA Stripes 47-21. Anthony Edwards was named the 2026 Kia All-Star MVP. The game was the most-watched NBA All-Star Game in the U.S. in 15 years.

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On the sidelines, the Basketball Africa League hosted its annual Business Cocktail, bringing together over 300 industry leaders, NBA legends, and cultural figures, including 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli and NBA legend Charles Smith. The BAL prepares for its sixth season, tipping off in South Africa on March 27.

Global icons such as South African rugby champion Siya Kolisi and Grammy Award winner Tyla also attended the All-Star weekend.