Amadou Gallo Fall

Born in Kaolack,{{Cite web |last=Ndungidi |first=Patrick |date=2018-09-09 |title=Amadou Gallo Fall, artisan de l'expansion de la NBA en Afrique |url=https://africanshapers.com/amadou-gallo-fall-artisan-de-lexpansion-de-la-nba-en-afrique/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=African Shapers |language=fr}} he grew up in his native Senegal. According to Fall, he was introduced to basketball in his "late teenage years" and joined the Dakar University club.{{Cite web |last=Krasnoff |first=Lindsay Sarah |title=“Basketball Diplomacy in Africa: An Oral History from SEED Project to the Basketball Africa League (BAL)” |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/32957/1/BBDipAF2020%20Amadou%20Gallo%20Fall.pdf |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS University of London}} He studied in Senegal and in Tunisia, before receiving a scholarship for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) in the United States in 1989.{{Cite web |title=Amadou Fall, la clé de la réussite |url=https://www.senebasket.com/Amadou-Fall-la-cle-de-la-reussite_a819.html |archive-url= |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Senebasket}} While attending a basketball camp in Senegal, Fall had caught the eye of a Peace Corps volunteer from the D.C. area, who put him in touch with UDC coach George Leftwich. Standing 6'8'' tall, Fall played center for the UDC men's basketball team from 1989 to 1993.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-07 |title=From D.C. to Dakar, basketball connections stretch over the Atlantic |url=https://cnsmaryland.org/2024/08/07/from-d-c-to-dakar-basketball-connections-stretch-over-the-atlantic/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=CNS Maryland |language=en-US}} He graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with Magna Cum Laude distinction.{{Cite web |title=UDC Alumnus and UDC Hall of Famer Spreads the Love of Basketball Throughout Africa |url=https://udc-dev.abcdandcompany.com/news/2023/06/udc-alumnus-and-udc-hall-of-famer-spreads-the-love-of-basketball-throughout-africa |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=University of the District of Columbia |language=en}}

In 1998, he founded the non-profit organization SEED (Sports for Education and Economic Development),{{Cite web |title=Amadou Gallo Fall, President, Basketball Africa League |url=https://careers.nba.com/executive/amadou-gallo-fall/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=NBA |language=en}} which includes the SEED Academy, a basketball academy in the Thiès region in Senegal.{{Cite web |title=SEED Academy : using basketball to develop new talent and tomorrow's leaders |url=https://sportencommun.org/en/projets/seed-academy-using-basketball-to-develop-new-talent-and-tomorrows-leaders/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Sport en Commun |language=en-US}} He also worked with Senegal's Ministry of Youth and Sport and with the NBA's Basketball Without Borders programme.{{Cite web |date=2010-02-13 |title=Former UDC Men's Basketball Player, Amadou Gallo Fall, to Head NBA Africa Expansion Effort |url=https://www.udcfirebirds.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/releases/201002151zwin2 |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=University of the District of Columbia}} From 2001 to 2009, Fall worked for NBA's Dallas Mavericks, serving as scouting director (2001 to 2005) as well as director of player personnel and vice president of international affairs (2005 to 2009).{{Cite web |title=Portrait Amadou Gallo Fall, Président BAL/NBA |url=https://leadersenegalais.com/2022/03/05/portrait-amadou-gallo-fall-president-bal-nba/#:~:text=Dipl%C3%B4m%C3%A9%20de%20l'University%20of,janvier%202010%20%C3%A0%20ao%C3%BBt%202020. |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Leader senegalais |language=fr}}

In 2010, Fall was chosen to head the NBA's office in Johannesburg, South Africa and as NBA's managing director for Africa{{Cite web |date=2019-05-29 |title=Amadou Gallo Fall named President of NBA's new Basketball Africa League |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1079837/amadou-gallo-fall-named-president-of-nbas-new-basketball-africa-league |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Inside the Games}} was responsible for overseeing the league's development in Africa in the following years. He was also named NBA's vice president.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-28 |title=NBA names Amadou Gallo Fall President of Basketball Africa League |url=https://pr.nba.com/amadou-gallo-fall-basketball-africa-league-president/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=NBA |language=en}} Under his guidance, the NBA opened its NBA Academy Africa in May 2017.

In May 2019, Fall was appointed as president of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) which started operating in 2021.

• Naismith Legacy Award (2023){{Cite web |last=Dumont |first=Floriane |date=2023-07-29 |title=Basket ball : Amadou Gallo Fall, récompensé par le Naismith Legacy Award |url=http://www.pa-sport.fr/2023/07/29/basket-ball-amadou-gallo-fall-recompense-par-le-naismith-legacy-award/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Presse Agence Sport |language=fr}}
• Member of the University of the District of Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame (inducted in 2020){{Cite web |date=2020-02-27 |title=District of Columbia Honors Annual Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2020 |url=https://www.udcfirebirds.com/general/2019-20/releases/20200227m72zdy |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=University of the District of Columbia}}
• New African's 100 Most Influential Africans (2019){{Cite web |title=Amadou Gallo Fall |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/04/Speaker-Bios-Multistakeholder-Dialogue-Role-of-Sport.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs}}
• African Leader 4 Change Award (2017)
• South African Sport Industry's Leadership in Sport Award (2018)

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Category:Senegalese basketball players

Category:NBA executives

Category:1963 births

Category:Living people