Where Culture Takes the Court: Inside NYC's Battle of Jollof
Jordan Christopher Reginald Hill
Last weekend, roughly two thousand people gathered at Pier 36 in New York City for a collision of food, music, and basketball called The Battle of Jollof.
The event, now in its fifth year, featured a jollof rice cook-off, a 1v1 basketball tournament highlighting talent from across the African diaspora, and a high-stakes basketball game between Team Ghana and Team Nigeria — a showdown for bragging rights in the kitchen and on the court.
It brought together NBA and WNBA stars, Afrobeats powerhouses, a Bib-Gourmand-recognized chef, and some of the city's best restaurants, representing flavors from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Ethiopia — and it was completely free of charge.
Why?
Because the purpose of the Battle of Jollof isn't fame or profit; the purpose of the event is community.
On the eve of Battle of Jollof, I sat down with Arinze Emeagwali, TJ Adeshola, and Abdul Karim Abdullah, the founders,at Ludlow House in SoHo for a pre-event gathering where they shared how this event came to be. As we walked through the four-story house to find a quiet place for our interview, they paused to greet every guest they encountered, dapping them up with a warm, welcoming energy.
Being greeted is such a significant part of African culture. If you grew up in an African home and made the mistake of walking past someone without saying hi, you've probably heard:
"You don't greet?" or in Pidgin, "You no dey greet"?
You acknowledge everyone in the room to not only show that they matter but to show that they are welcome. Being welcoming is a core value in African culture.
That sense of welcome is what sparked the idea for global brand marketer Emeagwali in 2019. He partnered with Adeshola, a sports and media executive and operating partner at Arctos Partners, and Abdullah, the founder and CEO of AfroFuture, to bring the vision to life in 2020.
"I just wanted to bring together the community — our friends and other people that aren't West African — and have a vibe and educate them," he said.
"To be Black, we have so many more similarities than we have differences, " said Adeshola. "[Battle of Jollof] is all about our shared experiences, shared culture, and pride in the nuances that exist across all of that cultural overlap."
"It's a space for us to really honor our stories, share a little bit about our culture, and to gather as a community," added Abdullah. "We're able to showcase our story, showcase who we are, and develop pride in the next generation of people who are now getting to see their culture as mainstream."
That shared pride and celebration of culture is what attracted a star-studded lineup of athletes and artists who came to support and experience Battle of Jollof firsthand.
"This event speaks to all aspects of everything that I love," said two-time WNBA All-Star and basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike. "I think the best thing that sport does is it brings everyone together — culture, community, vibes, Afrobeats, and of course, athletes and celebrities — all celebrating what it means to be Black, to be of culture, and what it means to be of the diaspora."
"I love repping my culture, and I love Nigeria," said WNBA All-Star Kiki Iriafen. "To be able to celebrate basketball, jollof, and the beautiful African diaspora is super special. It's great for us, especially being in the States, to be able to get together, have community, and celebrate our culture and heritage.
Team Nigeria was coached by four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, who led the group to an 80-74 victory over Team Ghana.
"This is my first time going. I've always seen it, but I'm super excited that I could be part of it. This is my culture, and African culture is just dope," said Ogunbowale.
Ogunbowale wasn't the only first-timer at the event. New York Knicks Star OG Anunoby came to show his support.
"I heard about the event. I thought it'd be pretty cool, so I wanted to come check it out for myself," Anunoby said. "I'm very proud of my African culture. I grew up in a Nigerian household, and it's very important to see African representation. It's very uplifting and cool for everyone to see and be a part of."
Other guests included Philadelphia 76ers Center Adem Bona, former NBA stars Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Emeka Okafor, and Ty Lawson; rapper Wale; Afrobeats sensation King Promise, Grammy-nominated artist Fridayy, host and executive producer Speedy Morman, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’Bozoma St. John — who is also the Chief Marketing Officer for NBC's On Brand with Jimmy Fallon — and more.
The influence is impressive, but at its core, Battle of Jollof is about giving back. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) — one of the event's sponsors — donated $ 5,000 in the event's honor to One Love Community Fridge.
The non-profit organization, founded by Asmeret Berhe-Lumax in June 2020, is working to eradicate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
"It really is about just having an impact wherever we show up," said Lyzz Ogunwo, Vice President of Player Experience Operations and Global Impact at NBPA, on the organization's involvement.
"We already know the state of access to food right now in the United States," Ogunwo continued. "We saw this as a great opportunity to make a contribution on behalf of our players — ensuring additional access to food for those in times of need right now.
"So many of our players have shared narratives with the folks who are playing in the [tournament] and with the founders of Battle of Jollof as well. It's just an opportunity to see themselves within the diaspora community.
"It's also a great [extension] of what we've been doing with One Court Africa."
Battle of Jollof is more than an event; it's one big greeting — a warm embrace that comes from the depths of a culture and tradition that says, "Isee you, I acknowledge you." The shared plates of Jollof, the rhythm of the log drum in Afrobeats, and the shared celebrations on the court are all invitations to partake — a way to say: you are welcome.
Despite its magnitude, the founders of Battle of Jollof have full-time jobs. The event isn't a side-hustle — it's an overflow of their passion for culture and the diaspora.
"Battle of Jollof is a love letter to the community," said Adeshola. "Everybody has jobs and things that we have going on, but we recognize that this is important, and we have to prioritize bringing people together in a way that's differentiated. It's not the club, it's not a concert, it's not a party, it's truly breaking bread and watching sport.
Our hope is that everybody who walks in the space gets a plate, enjoys their jollof, and gets to experience a really dope moment with the culture."
"It's really about the community and us prioritizing paying the community — paying the mom-and-pop shops, paying the vendors, bringing them out so people can know about the Liberian place that has good Jollof.
Battle of Jollof is a moment to not only showcase African talent and how diverse we are, but to highlight African food and how diverse we are," said Emeagwali.
"It's a way to share a piece of our childhood and a piece of our culture with people," said Abdullah.
