Rwanda's army team APR came third in the Basketball Africa League last year The National Basketball Association (NBA) says it removed Rwanda's army team from its African league because of US sanctions imposed on the country in March. The NBA had previously said the Rwandan army-funded Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) club would not participate in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL). However this is the first time the NBA has revealed the reasons behind the APR's removal.