Lincoln University Alum Antonio DePina Launches App, African Basketball League

Antonio DePina is organizing to make his mark in Africa via basketball and organization. The Lincoln College alumnus previously has an app, American basketball enterprise, and budding African basketball league under his belt. Master about how he is liberating other folks professionally and fiscally by way of sporting activities in the LU release underneath.

For Lincoln College alum Antonio DePina, 2021 is just the starting of a thing enormous.

Initial, he was named to Africa’s 30 beneath 30 by Forbes Journal, and tomorrow, he kicks off his possess expert basketball league in Cape Verde, Africa. The six-team Praia League is the starting of what DePina hopes provides a lot more expert basketball possibilities to the continent of Africa.

“After Lincoln College I performed skilled basketball in Portugal and Spain, and they all had one particular major factor in common I observed African players coming to Europe to enjoy,” explained DePina. “I always puzzled by African players go in all places but Africa to make their goals occur true. There is no rationale to not have a league in Africa so I took it on myself to generate that. I am searching to produce the largest league in Africa, the NBA of Africa.”

The Praia League is heading to be a one particular-month enterprise that concludes with a tournament from July 21 to July 23. Just about every of the 6 groups will be restricted to a few People in america with the rest of the roster getting from the continent. Pursuing Praia League combines in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami, the league held its to start with draft on Might 18.

As soon as the Praia League concludes, DePina will changeover to the Cape Verde Basketball League (CBL). The league will be a 5-month league that has “all of Africa’s expertise.”

“I want to make the most popular league in Africa,” reported DePina. “Instead of likely to Europe, you are likely to participate in listed here and then go to the NBA. The NBA will always be the greatest league in the environment. But, Africa demands a league. So that is what I am striving to develop.”

The road to the basketball leagues was paved by an app and a ton of persistence.

Adhering to his expert career, he noticed a way to strengthen the abroad working experience. He sought out to create a a single-quit application for players, brokers, and groups. Nonetheless, he didn’t have the experience to carry his dream to fruition.

Developer soon after developer arrived and went, a couple of thousand dollars below, a few of thousand dollars there. Just after at the very least 5 various specialist coders flaked on him, DePina took issues into his very own fingers.

“After receiving ripped off, a man ran off with two grand in this article, two grand here. I hired developers, and right after 4 months of wasted time, I just made the decision to make it myself,” said DePina. “I was weary of men and women jogging off on me and I really don’t know just about anything. You have to educate your self, and that is what I did.”

He figured out the basic principles of coding in two months, and the application was unveiled. DePina explained that he figured out how to be assertive in his enterprise by means of the ordeal. Ultimately, the achievements of the app, Overseas Basketball Connection, led the Praia League. He employed around $100,000 of the proceeds from the application to fund his league.

“I am betting on myself with this league,” DePina stated. “I really don’t truly feel like I am getting any losses with creating the league. Overall, I am aiding the region bringing tourism to the island, and bringing visibility to the island. Overall, I experience superior.”
 Games for the Praia League will be demonstrated on area tv in Praia, on Fb, on YouTube, and through the Abroad Basketball Link app.

It was his perform with the league and the application as part of the reason why he was named Forbes Africa 30 underneath 30. And for him, recognition on his indigenous continent was exclusive.

“Forbes Africa usually means additional to me for the reason that I am African,” stated DePina. “Everything I am carrying out is transitioning to Africa. There is already Steve Work opportunities and Elon Musk in The united states, I can be that listed here. Why not be that listed here? There way a lot more folks in Africa than in America. There are 1.2 billion men and women in Africa. There is no Door Dash or Uber Eats listed here in Africa, why not produce. I notify people today if you have a enterprise strategy appear to Africa. It’s like a virgin, there is absolutely nothing right here.

“It was a extensive time coming,” DePina ongoing. “As an entrepreneur, you desire of being in Forbes. Forbes is like your Emmy or Grammy of the business enterprise earth. I in no way really assumed I was profitable. That is just not how I consider, that’s not me. Even now, I never feel like that. Forbes kind of validates my desire will make me sense like I am not nuts. It validated my desires and created it truly worth it.”

Before earning his newest impression on the abroad basketball scene, DePina uncovered himself on season just one of the Netflix demonstrate, The Circle. Inside the exhibit, contestants are isolated with their residences, and can only connect to the other contestants by way of “The Circle”, ostensibly a laptop or computer system that transcribes their messages into textual content as if in a social media application. Contestants are so able to present totally diverse identities to some others to hopefully win them over. Every single so usually, the group of contestants is questioned to level their fellow contestants, with the major vote-getters starting to be the “Influencers” of the Circle, offering them the ability to “block” one particular contestant from the circle, getting rid of them from the video game.

Following a rapid start, DePina was blocked on the fourth episode. Regardless of only lasting what amounted to four days on the present, he was equipped to knowledge the Uk for about a thirty day period. When he didn’t stroll away with the $100,000 prize, DePina was compensated for the entire thirty day period.

So from Lincoln University to The Circle to Cape Verde, Antonio DePina is creating his mark.