The Nigeria national basketball team represents Nigeria in men's international basketball and it is overseen by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). In March 2021, the global governing body FIBA ranked Nigeria as Africa's top men's basketball nation. After the 2016 Olympic Men's Basketball Tournament in Rio, Nigeria was ranked 16th in the FIBA World Rankings, making them the top climber in FIBA rankings from 2015. Nigeria is the only African nation to beat the United States. Nigeria is also the first African team to qualify for the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. This was accomplished at the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men, 2012 Event when Nigeria beat the world elite teams of Lithuania men's national basketball team, Lithuania and Greece national basketball team, Greece. In 2015, Nigeria won its first crown as basketball champion of Africa.

History

The history of basketball in Nigeria goes as far back as the late 1950s when Walid Zabadne served as the first basketball coach to train Nigerians. At the time, Nigeria's only basketball court was situated in the Syrian Club in Lagos. Walid Zabadne continued teaching young Nigerians to become basketballers and when Nigeria's basketball federation was organized, he took them to several basketball competitions across Africa. In view of his role as the pioneer of basketball in Nigeria, Walid Zabadne has been deemed "father of Nigerian basketball’’. Also worthy of note is that Zabadne was later made the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation. Nigeria's national basketball team joined FIBA in 1964. Since the mid-1990s, the team has enjoyed unprecedented success, due to an increasing amount of talents from Nigeria as well as an orchestrated recruitment of American college basketball, college and professional players of Nigerian descent. The D'Tigers (as the team is nicknamed) qualified for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, marking only the second time in the country's history that they qualified to the FIBA World Cup. Team Nigeria usually plays its home games at the 3,000-capacity Indoor Sports Hall in Lagos.

2006 FIBA World Championship

Nigeria took part in the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan. They were drawn in Group A with Argentine national basketball team, Argentina, French national basketball team, France, Lebanese national basketball team, Lebanon, Serbian national basketball team, Serbia and Montenegro, and Venezuelan national basketball team, Venezuela. They surprisingly finished third in Group A, then were narrowly defeated by German national basketball team, Germany in the Round of 16. Overall they finished 14th, as they achieved the same record as the defending world champion Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team, Serbia and Montenegro.

2012 Summer Olympics

Nigeria competed at the Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men, 2012 Summer Olympics. They finished the group play with a 1–4 record, with their lone victory coming against Tunisian national basketball team, Tunisia in their Olympics debut. The team's roster, assembled by coach Ayodele Bakare, primarily comprised former college basketball players.

2016 Summer Olympics

Nigeria qualified for the Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2016 Summer Olympics tournament as champions of AfroBasket 2015. They finished at the bottom of Group B, winning one game against Croatia national basketball team, Croatia and losing four games. The team entered the 2016 games with several injured players and little financial support from the Nigerian government.

2020 Summer Olympics

As the top African team at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Nigeria qualified for their third consecutive Olympics berth for the Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2020 Summer Olympics. The team, which included seven NBA players and was led by Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown (basketball, born 1970), Mike Brown, was called up for training in the United States in June 2021. D'Tigers defeated the United States national basketball team, United States 90–87 during an exhibition game in Las Vegas on 10 July. The victory, described as an "upset (sports), upset", was the first for an African team against the United States.

Team honours and achievements

Intercontinental *FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup **Bronze: 2013 FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup, 2013, 2016 *Basketball at the Commonwealth Games **Fourth-place: Basketball at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, 2006 Continental *AfroBasket **Gold Medal: Gold medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 2015, 2015 **Silver Medal: Silver medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 1997, 1997, Silver medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 1999, 1999, Silver medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 2003, 2003, Silver medal africa

AfroBasket 2017, 2017 **Bronze Medal: Bronze medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 1995, 1995, Bronze medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 2005, 2005, Bronze medal africa

FIBA Africa Championship 2011, 2011 *Basketball at the All-Africa Games, All Africa Games **Gold Medal: Basketball at the 2011 All-Africa Games – Men's tournament, 2011 **Bronze Medal: 1995, Basketball at the 1999 All-Africa Games, 1999, Basketball at the 2003 All-Africa Games, 2003, Basketball at the 2007 All-Africa Games, 2007, Basketball at the 2015 All-Africa Games, 2015

Performance table

Olympic Games

FIBA World Cup

FIBA Africa Championship

African Games

*1973 – ? *1987 – ? *1995 – *1999 – *2003 – *2007 – *2011 – *2015 –

FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup

*2013 – *2016 –

Commonwealth Games

*2006 – 4th *2018 – 5th

Team

Current roster

''Roster for the Afrobasket 2021.''

Depth chart

Notable players

Several players of the Nigeria national team have had success playing for professional teams, in the NBA, or in Europe, including: *Julius Nwosu *Akin Akingbala *Peter Aluma *Aloysius Anagonye *Tunji Awajobi *Ike Diogu *Obinna Ekezie *Ebi Ere *Benjamin Eze *Ekene Ibekwe * Ike Iroegbu (born 1995) *Gani Lawal *Michael Olowokandi *Olumide Oyedeji *Ime Udoka *Jeff Varem *Al-Farouq Aminu *Festus Ezeli Hakeem Olajuwon never played for Nigeria at the international senior level, and would eventually play for the United States, after becoming a US citizen in 1993.

Past rosters

2009 FIBA Africa Championship, 2009 African Championship: finished 5th among 16 teams Akin Akingbala, Aloysius Anagonye, Chamberlain Oguchi, Deji Akindele, Michael Efevberha, Michael Umeh, Josh Akognon, Ebi Ere, Ejike Ugboaja, Gabe Muoneke, Jayson Obazuaye, Benson Egemonye (Coach: John Lucas II) 2011 FIBA Africa Championship, 2011 African Championship: finished 3rd among 16 teams Solomon Tat, Ime Udoka, Abubakar Usman, Chinedu Onyeuku, Ike Ofoegbu, Michael Umeh, Stanley Gumut, Derrick Obasohan, Ejike Ugboaja, Ezenwa Ukeagu, Jayson Obazuaye, Olumide Oyedeji (Coach: Ayo Bakare) Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men, 2012 Summer Olympics: finished 10th among 12 teams Tony Skinn, Ekene Ibekwe, Ike Diogu, Al-Farouq Aminu, Ade Dagunduro, Chamberlain Oguchi, Koko Archibong, Richard Oruche, Ejike Ugboaja, Derrick Obasohan, Alade Aminu, Olumide Oyedeji (Coach: Ayo Bakare) 2020 Olympic roster:

A 15-player roster was announced on 6 July 2021. The final squad was released on 20 July 2021.

Head coaches

* Vladislav Lučić 1975–1980 * Sam Vincent (basketball), Sam Vincent 2004–2006 * Sani Ahmed 2006 * Robert McCullum 2007 * John Lucas II 2009 * Sani Ahmed 2010, 2013 * Ayo Bakare 2011–2014 * William Bryant Voigt, William Voigt 2015–2017 * Alexander Nwora 2017–present Associate Headcoach from 2020–present. * Mike Brown (basketball, born 1970), Mike Brown 2020–2022 * Alan Major July 2022–present

Kit

Manufacturer

2019–present: Peak Sport Products, Peak

References

External links

*
FIBA Profile
at FIBA Archive
Afrobasket – Nigeria Men National Team

Videos

Nigeria – Team Highlights – AfroBasket 2015
Youtube.com video {{Nigeria squad 2011 FIBA Africa Championship Basketball in Nigeria, National team Men's national basketball teams National sports teams of Nigeria, Basketball 1964 establishments in Nigeria