As President of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Amadou Gallo Fall led the historic league’s launch in May 2021 and defined its vision and strategy for years to come.  Fall oversees the league’s business and basketball operations, leading its efforts to build a comprehensive basketball ecosystem in Africa.

Before being named BAL President in May 2019, Fall was Vice President & Managing Director of NBA Africa, where he worked with local federations, corporations, NGOs, and other key stakeholders to grow the game of basketball across the continent.  He helped open the NBA’s office in Johannesburg in 2010 and over the next decade oversaw the league’s grassroots development efforts and partnerships with marketing, media, and consumer products companies in Africa.

Prior to joining the league office, Fall worked for the Dallas Mavericks as Director of Player Personnel and Vice President of International Affairs, where he served as the team’s goodwill ambassador internationally and oversaw its scouting assignments.  In this role, Fall traveled to Africa and was an integral part of Basketball Without Borders, the NBA, and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that uses the game to create positive social change in the areas of education, health, and wellness.

Fall is a recipient of multiple leadership awards for his contributions to the growth of the game of basketball and youth development on the African continent, including New African’s 100 Most Influential Africans (2019), the South African Sport Industry’s Leadership in Sport (2018) and African Leader 4 Change (2017).

Fall was recognized with the Naismith Legacy Award by the Naismith family during the 2023 Global Sports Summit in Barcelona, Spain. The Naismith Legacy Award is presented to basketball players, coaches, and other individuals or organizations honoring the recipient’s role in furthering the values of honor, respect, and integrity on and off the court.

Fall is also the Founder of SEED (Sports for Education and Economic Development), a global non-profit organization established in 1998 with the mission of using sport as a vehicle to inspire, empower, and support the holistic development of promising African youth, preparing them to become global citizens.

Fall graduated magna cum laude from the University of the District of Columbia, where he played center on the basketball team.  He was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.