As NBA Continues To Make Mark In Africa, Pacers Assistant Lloyd Pierce Loves Being Part Of It

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 28: Lead assistant coach Lloyd Pierce reacts to a play against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on October 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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As the basketball world continues its outreach into Africa, Indiana Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce wants to be a part of it. Over the last few days, the NBA and FIBA teamed up to host a Basketball Without Borders Africa (BWB) camp in Kigali, Rwanda, and Pierce was one of six coaches who led campers throughout the four-day event.

“It’s important for the connectivity to be there. It’s important that we continue to stay over here in the summer and throughout the year and help grow the game. And that’s not just on the court,” Pierce said of planting NBA and basketball roots in Africa. “That’s with the officials that are here that are learning, and that’s with the coaches and how they teach the game. They’re here and they’re in their respective home countries, teaching the game at all age levels.”

This is the fourth time that Pierce has been involved in a BWB camp. This year, he and Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee are in charge of the men’s portion of the event. They run participants through skill development drills, then some practice sessions followed by games. Afterward, there’s a coaches clinic with roughly 300 coaches.

Pierce’s first BWB was in Tokyo back in 2012. This time, it’s in Rwanda – a significant decision. It’s the first time the camp has reached Eastern Africa after previous stops in Senegal, Angola, South Africa, and Egypt.

“A lot of these guys are playing in arenas for the first time. A lot of these guys are getting passports for the first time. They’re not just from Rwanda. I think we have 21 different countries on the continent represented here throughout the week on both the men’s and women’s side,” Pierce said. “So we’re seeing people that are experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we get to coach them.”

The camp is about more than just basketball – though the sport is the central focus. Players and coaches took part in social responsibility programming as basketball development and community outreach collided.

Camps like these can be significant for young players who need the resources. In Africa specifically, BWB has hosted 14 different players who were at one point drafted into the NBA or WNBA – including former MVP Joel Embiid, Pacers star Pascal Siakam, and 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach. Others include Luc Mbah a Moute, Nathan Mensah, Gorgui Dieng, Kostas Antetokounmpo, and Christian Koloko.

Other non-BWB events have been significant for African talents. Congolese center Oscar Tshiebwe of the Utah Jazz, who didn’t like basketball as a kid but was significantly taller than his peers at a young age, was encouraged to attend a camp held by Congolese big man Bismack Biyombo.

“I did not like [basketball]. But my brother’s friend forced me (to go), and two months later… Bismack Biyombo came to do a basketball camp,” Tshiebwe said. “I went there. That’s how I got picked up to come to America. And today? I fell in love with basketball.”

To this day, Tshiebwe and Biyombo keep up. Biyombo, a 14-year veteran, helped Tshiebwe through the NBA pre-draft process in 2023. That’s the kind of impact camps and events held in Africa can have, and Pierce knows it. It plays a part in his desire to be involved.

Why Pacers assistant Lloyd Pierce believes in the impact of Basketball Without Borders

“We’ve seen what the impact can look like,” Pierce said of BWB camps. “We’ve seen what it’s led to. And there’s so many programs on this continent that are continuing to show progress and develop. In addition to BWB, you’ve got Giants of Africa, you’ve got the Basketball African League, you have the different development programs like Seed in Senegal that have produced to a point where guys and gals are headed over to the states and they’re playing college ball and they’re playing in the pros, and they’re getting the opportunity that we’re trying to provide.

“It’s important for the connectivity to be there, but it’s important that we continue to stay over here in the summer and throughout the year and help grow the game,” Pierce continued. “That’s not just on the court. That’s with the officials that are here that are learning, and that’s with the coaches and how they teach the game… teaching the game at all age levels.”

BWB began in 2001 with an edition in Treviso, Italy. Since then, they have reached more than 4,600 participants from 144 countries and territories. 142 former campers have been drafted into the NBA and WNBA or signed as free agents.

Alongside Pierce and Lee, Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori are involved running the women’s program. Former NBA players Kerry Kittles and Marvin Williams are also a part of the coaching staff this year. More than a half-dozen other NBA staffers are involved in supporting roles.

That participation from high-level coaches is why BWB has been so successful. Everyone pours in. And as Pierce plays a key role in his third camp in Africa, he hopes that success can continue.

“If you know the history of this program, you know our guy Pascal Siakam was one of the earlier participants,” Pierce, the Pacers lead assistant coach since 2021, said. “We’ve seen his growth and progress, and it’s because of a camp like this.”