NBA Africa Game 2018: Date, Start Time, Rosters, Venue and More

The third installment of the NBA Africa Game will feature a new setting.

After holding the 2015 and 2017 versions in Johannesburg, this year's exhibition will be held in Pretoria, South Africa.

The contest will again pit Team Africa (composed of players born in Africa or with direct family ties to it) against Team World (players from the rest of the world).

Date: Saturday, August 4

Time: 11 a.m. ET (U.S.), 5 p.m. CAT (Africa)

Venue: Sun Arena, Pretoria, South Africa

Coverage:  ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes (U.S.), Kwese Free Sports (Africa)

Team Africa (via ESPN.com)

• Luol Deng (Los Angeles Lakers; South Sudan)
• Ian Mahinmi (Washington Wizards; France; parent from Benin)
• Al-Farouq Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.; parents from Nigeria)
• Bismack Biyombo (Charlotte Hornets; Democratic Republic of the Congo)*
• Cheick Diallo (New Orleans Pelicans; Mali)
• Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011)*
• Evan Fournier (Orlando Magic; France; parent from Algeria)
• Serge Ibaka (Toronto Raptors; Republic of the Congo)
• Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Oklahoma City Thunder; France; parent from Democratic Repulic of the Congo)
• Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012)

Team World

• John Collins (Atlanta Hawks; U.S.)
• JaVale McGee (Lakers; U.S.)
• Garrett Temple (Memphis Grizzlies; U.S.)
• Marvin Williams (Hornets; U.S.)
• Harrison Barnes (Dallas Mavericks; U.S.)
• Danilo Gallinari (LA Clippers; Italy; BWB Europe 2003)
• Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs; U.S.)*
• Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks; U.S.)*
• Hassan Whiteside (Miami Heat; U.S.)
• Dennis Smith Jr. (Dallas Mavericks; U.S.)

(*Denotes co-captains)

Team Africa

Good luck finding any evidence of the NBA's small-ball revolution on this roster.

Luwawu-Cabarrot—who has spent 63 percent of his career minutes at one of the forward spots—is Team Africa's shortest player at 6'6". Fournier, a 6'7" scorer who slides between the wings, will seemingly function as the de facto floor general since he's the only other player under 6'9".

But in this type of setting, we'll take all the point-bigs we can get. Chances are Embiid won't be bashful about initiating offense, and Siakam can let anyone know who overlooked it that he averaged 3.4 assists per 36 minutes last season.

Look for Embiid to try to take control if the contest is tight late. Team Africa hasn't enjoyed a win yet in this series, and The Process has the right kind of fire no matter the environment.

"I'm very serious, every time I step on the court I want to win," Embiid said, per Stuart Hess for The Star (h/t Independent Online). "I'm competitive, everybody knows that it doesn't matter who I'm playing against, five-year-old, 30-year-old, grown-ass man, I want to win."

Team World

This roster has a more modern feel with a lot of similar-sized wings who offer two-way versatility.

It also has a bunch of players who should challenge for the game's top dunk.

Smith, Barnes, Gay and McGee have all competed in the dunk contest before. Collins should sooner rather than later. Whiteside tacks a vicious punch at the rim, and every now and then Williams or Middleton will wake up the crowd with a rim-rattler.

It'll be interesting to see how Smith handles being the contest's only natural point guard. He could navigate his club in a manner Team Africa struggles to match, he might share the offensive controls with his bigger teammates or he might even not try to force the issue too much given the gargantuan size he's up against.

Other items to watch here—Whiteside any time he locks horns with Embiid, McGee any time he steps inside the lines and whether role players such as Temple and Williams try spreading their wings a bit.

This game has great purpose both for the access it offers and the fact it's being played in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. But there's also enough talent here to make it a great on-court product, too.