Kagame, NBA Star Kawhi Leonard Join Youth Basketball Clinic in Kigali

The one-day clinic brought together 50 boys and girls aged 12 to 17, including participants from the Giants of Africa Festival and regular players from Club Rafiki. Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, led drills on passing, defense, and scoring, while coaches offered additional training.

Kagame praised Leonard for supporting the event, which drew 320 young people from 20 African countries.

“This is a great opportunity for our youth and our country as we continue to invest in their future through sports,” Kagame said. He welcomed Leonard to Rwanda, telling him, “In Rwanda, Kigali is your home. You are always welcome here, and we look forward to seeing more activities like this.”

Leonard said he was impressed by Rwanda’s commitment to sports development. “It’s great to be here and see how Rwanda supports its youth and sports. It gives young athletes a huge boost. I thank everyone involved,” he said.

Giants of Africa, founded by Ujiri in 2003, promotes basketball across the continent by nurturing talent and building courts. The organization aims to construct 100 courts in African countries and has so far completed 43, including 10 in Rwanda. Club Rafiki’s court was renovated in 2022 as part of the program.