Review: Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League

“The story of ambition, resilience, and a continent united by sport.”
“Origin isn’t just about basketball—it’s about belonging.”
The 50th Toronto International Film Festival brought big stars and big stories, but one
of the most uplifting premieres was Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League.
The four-part documentary doesn’t just cover basketball—it tells the story of a dream
realized.
Directed and produced by Richard Brown (True Detective, Catch-22) with Masai Ujiri,
Akin Omotoso, Fisher Stevens, and Tebogo Malope, Origin had its world premiere in
TIFF’s Primetime lineup. Before it even screened, ESPN picked up U.S. rights, while Bell
Media secured Canada through Crave and TSN. Fremantle will handle global sales,
ensuring this story reaches as broad an audience as the game itself.
The series tracks the launch of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the NBA’s first
league outside North America. A collaboration with FIBA, the BAL brought together 12
top clubs from across Africa, finally realizing a vision held for decades by Amadou Gallo
Fall and Ujiri. The documentary follows the league’s first season and those who made it
possible.
But Origin isn’t just about the game. It’s about players chasing dreams, coaches
shaping futures, and countries uniting under one sport. From Rwanda to Senegal,
Angola to Egypt, the BAL becomes a bridge across languages, cultures, and borders.
The film also features some heavyweight voices who back the teams: Former President
Barack Obama, Steph Curry, J. Cole, Pascal Siakam, Dikembe Mutombo, Joakim Noah,
and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Their contributions underscore the BAL’s
importance as both a sports and cultural milestone.
What makes the series shine is its balance of action and intimacy. You get the fast
breaks and buzzer-beaters, but also the behind-the-scenes struggles and triumphs.
Brown described it as a story of “ambition, competition, resilience, and transformation,”
and that’s precisely what comes through.

Ujiri sums it up best: Origin shows how basketball can “unite, inspire, and transform
communities.” Watching it, you see a league that is bigger than sport—it’s about
opportunity, identity, and pride.
Origin is more than a documentary. It’s proof that Africa’s basketball story is just
getting started. And for audiences, it’s an inspiring reminder that when dreams take
root, they can change the game forever.