The story of Africans in the NBA started with Hakeem Olajuwon, and although others like Manute Bol added chapters to the story, the African narrative was further stretched by Dikembe Mutombo when he arrived on the scene.
That is one reason why the first meeting between the two in November 1991 is arguably one of the best African moments in the NBA.
So ahead of the NBA Africa Game 2017, we look at which moments involving African players in the NBA have most caught the imagination.
'The Dream' joins the ranks
Arguably the continent's finest moment came when Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted into the NBA - and as the top pick at that. The Nigerian-born Olajuwon thereby not only became the first African-born player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, but also the first ever to be drafted at number one.
Africans collide
On Nov. 2, 1991, the Houston Rockets' Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo of the Denver Nuggets faced off against each other in the NBA for the first time. Both were awesome. Mutombo, playing in his rookie season, scored 27 points, snagged 17 rebounds, swatted five shots and handed out four assists, while Olajuwon had 25 points, 14 rebounds and added three blocked shots.
Olajuwon flies the African flag
Not a particular moment, but the way Olajuwon dominated the mid-1990s by leading the Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles cannot be ignored. Between 1991 and 1998 only two teams won the Championship other than Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls -- and the Rockets won both of them. Olajuwon was named Finals MVP both times, and also the MVP for the 1993/94 regular season. In that same period he made one of the All-NBA teams eight times, and was an All-Star seven times.
Mutombo makes his mark
Not quite the heights of Olajuwon, but Mutombo winning the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year four times - 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 2000-01 - will never be forgotten. He is one of only four players to lead the NBA in total blocks in three different seasons - Olajuwon, Theo Ratliff and George T Johnson being the others.
Mutombo shackles Shaq - sort of ...
Mutombo was acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers following the All-Star Weekend in 2001, when he played well for the Eastern Conference. The Sixers made it to the NBA Finals, where Mutombo went head-to-head with Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers won that series in five games, but Mutombo averaged 16.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game against the best center in the league at the time. He also won one of his Defensive Player of the Year titles that season.
Manute Bol steps up
One of the African players that added to the NBA story was Manute Bol. The Sudanese big man made history in 1985-86 when he became the only rookie in league history to lead the NBA in blocks per game, while with the Washington Bullets. Three years later, he repeated the feat, this time in the uniform of the Golden State Warriors.
Embiid arrives on the scene - finally
Joel Embiid is one from the younger generation of African stars, despite only playing 31 games for 76ers since joining in 2014 due to injury. Still, his impact has been massive whenever he has played, including a then career-high 26 points in 20 minutes in a 120-105 win over the Phoenix Suns in November, and a personal best 14 rebounds in a 98-97 win over the New York Knicks earlier this year. The Cameroonian is also a publicity magnet because of his antics: he tweeted a bunch in his rookie season, danced with cheerleaders and declared his intention to date music superstar Rihanna.
Deng joins illustrious company
Luol Deng delivered his own African moments with back-to-back All-Star appearances while with the Chicago Bulls in 2011-12 and 2012-13 - the only other African outside of Olajuwon and Mutombo to be named an All-Star. He also led the NBA in minutes per game in each of those two seasons.
Biyombo sets Raptors record
During the 2016 playoffs, DR Congo center Bismack Biyombo snagged 26 rebounds in a Toronto Raptors win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the most rebounds in any game - regular season or playoffs - in the franchise's history. That feat also equaled the most rebounds Olajuwon ever had in a game.
African champions
No list would be complete without the champions - Olajuwon and Didier 'DJ' Mbenga each won the Championship twice, while Festus Ezeli followed suit while with the Golden State Warriors. Who will celebrate next?