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Nigeria men's national basketball team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Nigeria women's national basketball team.

 Nigeria
FIBA rankingIncrease (15 August 2024)[1]
Joined FIBA1964
FIBA zoneFIBA Africa
National federationNigeria Basketball Federation
CoachAlexander Nwora
Nickname(s)D'Tigers
Olympic Games
Appearances2
FIBA World Cup
Appearances3
AfroBasket
Appearances18
Medals Gold: (2015)
Silver: (1997, 1999, 2003, 2017)
Bronze: (1995, 2005, 2011)
All Africa Games
Appearances8
MedalsGold Gold: (2011)
Bronze Bronze: (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015)

The Nigeria national basketball team is overseen by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). It is generally considered to be one of the best national basketball teams in the FIBA Africa zone, along with Angola and Senegal. Nigeria has been ranked 16th in the FIBA World Rankings since the 2016 Olympic Men's Basketball Tournament in Rio, making them the top climber in FIBA rankings from 2015.[2]

Nigeria is the only African nation to ever qualify for the Summer Olympics through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. This was accomplished at the 2012 Event when Nigeria beat the world elite teams of Lithuania and 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 1950’s 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. 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. Recently, the team has enjoyed success, due to an increasing amount of talents from Nigeria as well as an orchestrated recruitment of American college and professional players of Nigerian descent. A team dominated by Nigerian-Americans 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.

Eight players on the team that represented Nigeria at the 2009 FIBA AfroBasket tournament were born in the United States. Nigeria also qualified to the 2012 Summer Olympics.

2006 FIBA World Championship

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

2012 Summer Olympics

Nigeria competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They finished the group play with a 1–4 record, with their victory coming against Tunisia, making the first ever Olympic game the first ever Olympic victory.

Performance table

Olympic Games

Year Position Tournament Host
2012 10 2012 Summer Olympics London, United Kingdom
2016 11 2016 Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2020 Qualified 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo, Japan

FIBA World Cup

Year Position Tournament Host
1998 13 1998 FIBA World Championship Athens, Greece
2006 14 2006 FIBA World Championship Japan
2019 17 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup China
2023 To be determined 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Philippines, Japan and Indonesia

FIBA Africa Championship

Year Position Tournament Host
1965 – FIBA Africa Championship 1965 Tunis, Tunisia
1968 – FIBA Africa Championship 1968 Casablanca, Morocco
1970 – FIBA Africa Championship 1970 Alexandria, Egypt
1972 12 FIBA Africa Championship 1972 Dakar, Senegal
1974 – FIBA Africa Championship 1974 Bangui, Central African Republic
1975 – FIBA Africa Championship 1975 Alexandria, Egypt
1978 6 FIBA Africa Championship 1978 Dakar, Senegal
1980 11 FIBA Africa Championship 1980 Rabat, Morocco
1981 – FIBA Africa Championship 1981 Mogadishu, Somalia
1983 – FIBA Africa Championship 1983 Alexandria, Egypt
1985 7 FIBA Africa Championship 1985 Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
1987 8 FIBA Africa Championship 1987 Tunis, Tunisia
1989 – FIBA Africa Championship 1989 Luanda, Angola
1992 5 FIBA Africa Championship 1992 Cairo, Egypt
1993 – FIBA Africa Championship 1993 Nairobi, Kenya
1995 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 1995 Algiers, Algeria
1997 2nd place, silver medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 1997 Dakar, Senegal
1999 2nd place, silver medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 1999 Angola
2001 5 FIBA Africa Championship 2001 Casablanca, Morocco
2003 2nd place, silver medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 2003 Alexandria, Egypt
2005 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 2005 Algeria
2007 5 FIBA Africa Championship 2007 Angola
2009 5 FIBA Africa Championship 2009 Libya
2011 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 2011 Antananarivo, Madagascar
2013 7 FIBA Africa Championship 2013 Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
2015 1st place, gold medalist(s) FIBA Africa Championship 2015 Radès, Tunisia
2017 2nd place, silver medalist(s) AfroBasket 2017 Senegal/Tunisia

African Games

See also: Basketball at the African Games
  • 1973 : ?
  • 1987 : ?
  • 1995 : 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
  • 1999 : 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2003 : 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2007 : 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2011 : 1st place, gold medalist(s)
  • 2015 : 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2019 : To be determined

FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup

See also: FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup
  • 2013: 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2016: 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

Commonwealth Games

See also: Basketball at the Commonwealth Games
  • 2006 : 4th
  • 2018 : 5th

Team honours and achievements

Intercontinental

Continental

Team

Current roster

Nigeria national basketball team – 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
PG 1 Ike Iroegbu 24 – (1995-03-14)14 March 1995 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Lietkabelis Panevėžys Lithuania
PG 4 Ben Uzoh 31 – (1988-03-18)18 March 1988 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Caballeros de Culiacán Mexico
SG 5 Stan Okoye 28 – (1991-04-10)10 April 1991 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) Gran Canaria Spain
PF 6 Ike Diogu 35 – (1983-09-11)11 September 1983 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Shimane Susanoo Magic Japan
SF 7 Al-Farouq Aminu 28 – (1990-09-21)21 September 1990 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Orlando Magic United States
C 8 Ekpe Udoh 32 – (1987-05-20)20 May 1987 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) Beijing Ducks China
PF 10 Chimezie Metu 22 – (1997-03-22)22 March 1997 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) Sacramento Kings United States
C 13 Talib Zanna 28 – (1990-10-01)1 October 1990 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Ironi Nes Ziona Israel
SG 20 Josh Okogie 20 – (1998-09-01)1 September 1998 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Minnesota Timberwolves United States
PG 22 Gabe Vincent 23 – (1996-06-14)14 June 1996 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Stockton Kings United States
SF 33 Jordan Nwora 20 – (1998-09-09)9 September 1998 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Louisville Cardinals United States
C 50 Michael Eric 31 – (1988-06-24)24 June 1988 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) Saski Baskonia Spain
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – describes age
    on 31 August 2019

Depth chart

Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Ekpe Udoh Micheal Eric
PF Ike Diogu Chimezie Metu Talib Zanna
SF Al-Farouq Aminu Stan Okoye Jordan Nwora
SG Josh Okogie Gabe Vincent Nnamdi
PG Ben Uzoh Ike Iroegbu

Head coaches

Notable players

Several players of the Nigeria national team have had success playing for professional teams, in the NBA, or in Europe, including:

Hakeem Olajuwon never played for Nigeria at the international senior level,[5] and would eventually play for the United States, after becoming a US citizen in 1993.

Past rosters

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 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)

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)

Kit

Manufacturer

2019: Peak

See also

References

  1. ^ "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ "FIBA rankings". FIBA. Retrieved 15 August 2012. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  3. ^ "NBBF hires Will Voigt to lead D'Tigers to Afrobasket and All African Games; may lead team to Rio 2016 Olympic Games". Basketball. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  4. ^ http://punchng.com/afrobasket-nbbf-appoints-alex-nwora-as-dtigers-coach/
  5. ^ "Forget it, Nigeria. Victor Oladipo is gone!". Basketball. Retrieved 16 September 2015.

Videos

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