Dirk Nowitzki, Kemba Walker Headline Announced Captains for 2017 NBA Africa Game

Dirk Nowitzki, Kemba Walker, Thabo Sefolosha and Luol Deng will serve as co-captains for the 2017 NBA Africa Game, the league announced in a statement Monday.

The game will take place Aug. 5 at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa. The NBA held its first exhibition in South Africa in 2015, which featured players of African descent taking on players who hail from the United States or other countries.

Nowitzki and Walker will captain Team World, while Sefolosha and Deng are captains for Team Africa.

Sefolosha, who is from Switzerland, has one parent who is from South Africa. Deng hails from the South Sudan. Bismack Biyombo and Emmanuel Mudiay were already announced as players for Team Africa in February. 

"Having South African roots, it's a dream come true to return to South Africa to play in an NBA game," Sefolosha said in a statement. "There are so many talented African players in the league, and it will be an honor to lead them on August 5 in Johannesburg."

Walker and Nowitzki will be joined by CJ McCollum on Team World. Full rosters for the event will be announced at a later date.

"I'm really excited to represent Team World in the second NBA Africa Game this summer," Nowitzki said in a statement. "I also look forward to returning to South Africa after taking part in the Basketball without Borders Africa camp eight years ago. It's great to see how the game is growing across the continent, and I'm honored to be a part of this historic event."

The game will benefit UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and SOS Children's Villages South Africa (SOSCVSA).