In response to the NBA failing to draft athletes from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for 10 years straight, basketballers from these renowned institutions will soon get the chance to participate in the HBCU Basketball Association (HBCUBA), dubbed the “NBA for HBCU players.”
The HBCUBA is led by Kimberly Clark, the organization’s president of business operations, and Kevin Williams Sr., president of basketball operations.
Clark recently discussed the HBCUBA during a sit-down with HBCU Sports, letting people know exactly what the league’s mission is.
“We have talked to so many HBCU players that wanted that opportunity to play on a professional level, but unfortunately our schools are just not looked at hard enough for our players to have those opportunities all the time,” she said of the inspiration behind the organization.
As a result, Clark and Williams ultimately formed a single team of HBCU athletes. However, “the vision kept on getting bigger” to the point that they decided to build a whole league — complete with a combine and try-out process starting in early 2023, with an official draft to follow.
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“There will be a draft. This will be the first-ever, so we are excited. It will be in Houston, Texas, the weekend before the Super Bowl,” Clark shared.
She also noted that the season will kick off sometime around late February/early March and run until May. Play-offs and championships will then move down to Miami in June.
“We’re super excited. Those things are planned out and ready. Right now, we’re just trying to get the word out,” Clark said.
“I think it’s long overdue,” she added, pointing out that Robert Covington, a graduate from Tennessee State University, is the sole HBCU athlete who’s actively playing in the NBA.
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While Clark wasn’t able to dive into the specifics of which HBCUs will be involved in the HBCUBA, the league will kick off with 6 teams based in “traditional Black college territories throughout the South” — particularly the cities of Atlanta, Birmingham, Daytona Beach, Houston, Jackson and New Orleans.
“We want to be the NBA for HBCU players,” Clark optimistically noted, according to the Clarion Ledger.
However, providing basketball opportunities isn’t the HBCUBA’s only mission.
“Our goal is to also build that HBCU pipeline from our communities to the colleges. So, we’re hoping that in the process we can see an increase in admission, retention and graduation rates… To make sure that what we’re doing doesn’t just affect the players — it affects the whole community,” she told HBCU Sports.
“We want to make sure we are taking care of the whole athlete,” Clark continued. “We’ll cover financial literacy, mental health, and some other components that we [will] help them continue to be productive throughout life.”
Are you pumped for the HBCUBA to kick off next year?
