Nigeria national basketball team

Nigeria Nigeria
FIBA ranking 16 Increase 9
Joined FIBA 1964
FIBA zone FIBA Africa
National federation Nigeria Basketball Federation
Coach Alexander Nwora
Nickname(s) D'Tigers
Olympic Games
Appearances 2
FIBA World Cup
Appearances 3
AfroBasket
Appearances 18
Medals Gold: (2015)
Silver: (1997, 1999, 2003, 2017)
Bronze: (1995, 2005, 2011)
All Africa Games
Appearances 7
Medals Gold: (2011)
Bronze: (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007)
Uniforms
Light
Dark

The Nigerian 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 will be ranked 16th in the FIBA World Rankings after the 2016 Olympic Men's Basketball Tournament in Rio, making them the top climber in FIBA rankings from last year.[1]

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 Olympic Games. 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
2012102012 Summer Olympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom
2016112016 Summer Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil

FIBA World Cup

Year Position Tournament Host
1998131998 FIBA World ChampionshipAthens, Greece
2006142006 FIBA World ChampionshipJapan
2019Qualified2019 FIBA Basketball World CupChina
2023To be determined2023 FIBA Basketball World CupPhilippines, Japan and Indonesia

FIBA Africa Championship

Year Position Tournament Host
1965–FIBA Africa Championship 1965Tunis, Tunisia
1968–FIBA Africa Championship 1968Casablanca, Morocco
1970–FIBA Africa Championship 1970Alexandria, Egypt
197212FIBA Africa Championship 1972Dakar, Senegal
1974–FIBA Africa Championship 1974Bangui, Central African Republic
1975–FIBA Africa Championship 1975Alexandria, Egypt
19786FIBA Africa Championship 1978Dakar, Senegal
198011FIBA Africa Championship 1980Rabat, Morocco
1981–FIBA Africa Championship 1981Mogadishu, Somalia
1983–FIBA Africa Championship 1983Alexandria, Egypt
19857FIBA Africa Championship 1985Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
19878FIBA Africa Championship 1987Tunis, Tunisia
1989–FIBA Africa Championship 1989Luanda, Angola
19925FIBA Africa Championship 1992Cairo, Egypt
1993–FIBA Africa Championship 1993Nairobi, Kenya
19953rd, bronze medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 1995Algiers, Algeria
19972nd, silver medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 1997Dakar, Senegal
19992nd, silver medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 1999Angola
20015FIBA Africa Championship 2001Casablanca, Morocco
20032nd, silver medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 2003Alexandria, Egypt
20053rd, bronze medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 2005Algeria
20075FIBA Africa Championship 2007Angola
20095FIBA Africa Championship 2009Libya
20113rd, bronze medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 2011Antananarivo, Madagascar
20137FIBA Africa Championship 2013Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
20151st, gold medalist(s)FIBA Africa Championship 2015Radès, Tunisia
20172nd, silver medalist(s)AfroBasket 2017Senegal/Tunisia

African Games

  • 1973 : ?
  • 1987 : ?
  • 1995 : 3rd, bronze medalist(s)
  • 1999 : 2nd, silver medalist(s)
  • 2003 : 2nd, silver medalist(s)
  • 2007 : 3rd, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2011 : 3rd, bronze medalist(s)
  • 2015 : 1st, gold medalist(s)
  • 2019 : To be determined

Commonwealth Games

  • 2006 : 4th
  • 2018 : 6th

Team

Current roster

The following is the Nigeria roster for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[2] Captain Olumide Oyedeji quit the squad due to personal problems.[3]

Nigeria men's national basketball team – 2016 Summer Olympics roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameAge – Date of birthHeightClubCtr.
PG 4 Uzoh, Ben 28 – (1988-03-18)18 March 1988 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Unattached
PG 5 Umeh, Michael 31 – (1984-09-18)18 September 1984 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Ironi Nahariya Israel
F/C 6 Diogu, Ike 32 – (1983-09-11)11 September 1983 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Guangdong Southern Tigers China
G/F 7 Okoye, Stan 25 – (1991-04-10)10 April 1991 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) Pallacanestro Trapani Italy
PG 8 Akognon, Josh 30 – (1986-02-10)10 February 1986 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) Dinamo Sassari Italy
G/F 9 Oguchi, Chamberlain 30 – (1986-04-28)28 April 1986 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) Anwil Włocławek Poland
G/F 10 Ere, Ebi 35 – (1981-08-02)2 August 1981 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) Capitanes de Arecibo Puerto Rico
C 11 Ogide, Andy 28 – (1987-10-01)1 October 1987 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) Hapoel Migdal HaEmek Israel
G 12 Gbinije, Michael 24 – (1992-06-05)5 June 1992 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) Syracuse Orange United States
C 13 Lawal, Shane 29 – (1986-10-08)8 October 1986 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) FC Barcelona Lassa Spain
F/C 14 Aminu, Alade 28 – (1987-09-14)14 September 1987 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) Hapoel Eilat B.C. Israel
F/C 15 Ibekwe, Ekene 31 – (1985-07-19)19 July 1985 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) CEZ Nymburk Czech Republic
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • United States John Kirk Bryant
  • Norway Mathias Eckhoff
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – describes age
    on 6 August 2016

Head coaches

Notable players

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

Hakeem Olajuwon never played for the Nigerian team at senior level,[6] 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 Olympic Games: 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

2015: Nike [7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "FIBA rankings". FIBA. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Ezeli fue incluido en el plantel preliminar de Nigeria para las Olimpiadas en Rio" [Ezeli was included on Nigeria's premliminary squad for the Rio Olympics]. FIBA. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Efe, Ben. "Rio Olympics: Oyedeji quits D'Tigers". Vanguard. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "NBBF hires Will Voigt to lead D'Tigers to Afrobasket and All African Games; may lead team to Rio 2016 Olympic Games". Basketball. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  5. ↑ http://punchng.com/afrobasket-nbbf-appoints-alex-nwora-as-dtigers-coach/
  6. ↑ "Forget it, Nigeria. Victor Oladipo is gone!". Basketball. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  7. ↑ 2015 FIBA Africa Championship - Nigeria, FIBA.com, Retrieved 11 May 2016.

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