[1] Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

[2] Each season typically runs from March to June, and in the current format of the league consists of twelve teams.

The countries that could possibly host a team include; Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

[8] On 15 October 2019, the qualifying tournaments for the inaugural season began, with teams from 32 African countries participating.

On 30 May, Zamalek from Egypt won the first-ever BAL championship after beating US Monastir in the inaugural final.

These countries have been determined based on basketball history and commercial market size, and have thus far been Angola, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco (only in 2021), Nigeria, Rwanda (since 2022) and Senegal.

Elevate players do not share in the prize money that is awarded from the competition, to preserve their amateur status.

[outdated statistic] The following is a list of clubs who have played in the Basketball Africa League at any time since its formation in 2020 to the current season.

At the moment of establishment, strategic investors including a consortium of Babatunde “Tunde” Folawiyo, Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation (HFP).

Other investors included former players such as Dikembe Mutombo, Junior Bridgeman, Luol Deng, Grant Hill, Joakim Noah and Ian Mahinmi.

[24] Two months later, it was announced that former President of the United States Barack Obama joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner while also purchasing a minority stake in the organisation.

[26] The organisation of the league currently exists out of: The Human Rights Foundation has criticized the BAL for maintaining close relations with Paul Kagame and his Rwandan authoritarian government, and has sent an official letter to the NBA regarding the matter.