Basketball
NIGERIANS EXCITED ABOUT BAM ADEBAYO’S D’TIGERS PROSPECT
Basketball fans in Nigeria are in frenzy over the prospects of having Miami Heats Centre, Femi ‘Bam’ Adebayo on the national team, D’Tigers.
The 2017 NBA 17th draft who at the end of the 2019–20 seasons, finished as runner-up as the Most Improved player in the NBA was recently named in the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
With a consistent and eye-catching performance, Bam Adebayo according to many Nigerians will greatly improve and perfectly fit into the DTigers team.
Reacting to the clamor by Nigerians for the Nigeria Basketball Federation to woo ‘Bam’ Adebayo to play for Nigeria, NBBF President, Musa Kida said impossible is nothing.
Kida in a recent statement opined that the DTigers meteoric rise in global basketball has recently changed the narratives with many Nigerians now interested in representing their father land.
“Before now, players like Josh Okogie and San Antonio Spurs player, Chimezie Metu would have had a second thought about playing for Nigeria, but when the Technical Crew presented the project to them, they were excited and they jumped on it.”
“Having Bam in the National team is a possibility that we are considering as a federation ahead of the 2020 Olympics and beyond”
“We are excited about how far he has gone and what he can achieve in his career with DTigers if he chooses to play for Nigeria”, Kida said.
In a similar vein, Kida has advised upcoming players to draw inspiration from D’Tigers’ point guard, Gabriel Vincent Nnamdi who just became the first Nigerian National Team player to qualify for the NBA finals.
While congratulating the player, Kida said the story is inspirational for many who are finding it difficult to stay focused as the effects of Covid-19 bite hard on the organized sports in Nigeria.
“Just early this year, Gabe was playing in the G-League with Stockton Kings before his hardwork and consistency was recognised which earned him a two-way deal with Miami Heats and Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“We are excited that he made up his mind to play for his fatherland which helped our world cup campaign as D’Tigers became the first and till now the only African country to qualify for the 2020 Olympics”
According to Kida, the relationship has been symbiotic for all parties involved.
“Playing for DTigers has helped in improving the team while the national team has also provided him a platform to show his talents at the biggest global basketball event”.
For many Nigerian players at home and abroad who are finding it difficult to motivate themselves to strive for greatness, Kida said the latest achievement of the 2020 NBA G-League’s most improved player should serve as an inspiration to them.
“With consistency, hardwork and dedication, success is guaranteed. What the federation has achieved so far or what you see Gabe achieving now is not accidental. It took years of preparation”.
Gabe earned his first international cap for Nigeria at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China where he averaged 11.4pts (49th best shooter at the world cup) and 1.2rebs.
Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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