Lagos Legends Basketball Club will receive a rousing reception in Abuja today, where top basketball benefactor and Mark D’Ball founder, Igoche Mark, is hosting a grand celebration in their honour.
The ceremony follows the Legends’ sensational campaign in the abridged Nigeria Basketball Premier League, climaxing with their thrilling 74–72 triumph over Rivers Hoopers in the Final 4 showdown in Port Harcourt on November 24, 2025. The hard-earned victory not only secured the national championship but also booked their place in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Mark, whose Mark D’Ball initiatives have become a backbone of basketball development in Nigeria, has extended an open invitation to fans, stakeholders, and the wider basketball community to celebrate the newly crowned champions.
The Abuja reception is expected to attract senior NBBF officials, coaches, players, and prominent figures across the basketball landscape—coming together to salute a team whose resilience, discipline, and clutch performance produced one of the league’s most unforgettable finishes.
For Lagos Legends, the achievement represents more than winning a title—it is a bold statement of intent. For Nigerian basketball, it is a moment of pride worth celebrating.
The board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation NBBF) has announced the fixtures for the 1st Phase of the 2025 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League with the two conferences; Atlantic and Savannah, having eight clubs each.
The league will start with the Atlantic Conference at the Indoor Hall of the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, Edo State, on Tuesday July 22, with the defending champion of the league, MFM Women Basketball team taking on First Deep Waters in one of the Day 1 games.
The first game on the day will be between First Bank and IGP Queens, with the game starting by 9am with First Deep Waters hoping to out-dunk Sunshine Queens in the second game that will start by 11 as defending champions, MFM and their opponent take to the court by 1pm while the last game of the day, IGP Queens Vs Dolphins taking centre stage by 3pm.
The games continue on Wednesday, July 23, as the 1st Phase is expected to end on Saturday, July 27, with the teams expected to move to Ilorin Township Stadium for the 2nd phase of the league.
The Savannah Conference will start on July 30 at the Indoor Hall, MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with Nigeria Army and Air Warriors starting the day by 10m before the turn of Titans and Kada Angels testing their might by 12pm.
The Educational Basketball Summer Classic 2025 ended in dramatic fashion at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, marking the tournament’s first-ever indoor edition and setting a new standard for youth basketball in Nigeria.
Held from June 28 to 29 and sponsored by Nike, this year’s event gathered six elite teams; EB Elite, KAO Elite, Team Mezie, Anjorin Sports, Rowe Park, and Tunez Squad, for two days of high-intensity competition that culminated in an unforgettable championship game.
The final saw Tunez Squad edge Team Mezie 95–94 in a double-overtime thriller. After trailing by 20 points, Team Mezie forced overtime with a last-second layup by Soji Ahmed and extended the contest again with a clutch floater by Damilare Salami. In the decisive moment, Prince Nduba of Tunez Squad sank a contested three-pointer at the buzzer to seal victory.
“Man, the prize felt meh ‘cause we worked so hard for it,” Nduba said after the game. “I was literally ready for that moment.”
Beyond the championship, the tournament showcased emerging talent and attracted scouts. KAO Elite’s Precious Faraday opened with 41 points, while EB Elite relied on twin 6’10 centers Taiwo and Kehinde Adedoyin alongside guard Koko Adetola Clinton. Team Mezie’s dynamic backcourt of Ahmed and Worship Adelle impressed throughout, and Rowe Park’s Kareem Joseph and Tolani Buhari brought experience from the Basketball Africa League and Nigeria’s national team.
The event was also a celebration of basketball culture and sponsorship. Teams were supported by prominent figures, including DJ Tunez, NBA player Chimezie Metu, and professional athlete Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu.
Educational Basketball co-founder Iseolupo Adepitan described the Classic as part of a broader movement to transform youth basketball in Africa.
“This is bigger than one weekend,” Adepitan said. “It’s about culture, opportunity, and excellence. We truly believe Nigeria is one of the most talented countries in the world, we’re just trying to give these kids hope.”
With more tournaments planned and growing international support, Nigeria is fast becoming a hub for the next generation of basketball stars.
The Commissioner for Education Bayelsa State, Honourable Gentle Emelah, has lauded the brave display of Bishop Dimeari Grammar School at the recently concluded Nestlé Milo Secondary Schools National Basketball Championships in Lagos
BDGS narrowly missed on top position after a 66-64 defeat to Father O’Connell Sci. College of Niger State in a thrilling final.
Emelah, in a statement, sympathised with the young students, stressing that despite the final score line, Governor Douye Diri and the people of the state are proud of their gallantry output.
He maintained that such outcome is part of the process where they need to understand how to win and lose at a very young age, thereby creating room for improvement and more work and training. He added that the right attitude at this level of sports is developmental, which is beyond winning.
Similarly, Emelah extended his sympathy to St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, which missed out on podium finish after losing their third place playoff to Government Sec. Sch. Yola (Adamawa) 49 – 45.
Meanwhile, Emelah has commended the coordinators of school sports in Bayelsa State led by Godwin Adagbo and the coaches of both schools for the tireless efforts to train and equip the young athletes with the necessary information to nurture their God given talent.
The Bayelsa State education boss commended the ASSURED vision of Governor Douye Diri and his deputy to identify school sports as the best place to catch and nurture young talents.
Expressing full confidence that Bayelsa State School sports since creation is attaining its best status globally.
The 2nd edition of the Chief of Defence Staff U-18 Democracy Day Basketball Championship begins today at the Basketball Courts of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Package B, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.
16 basketball clubs, 10 male and 6 female, drawn from the North-Central Zone, will feature at the week-long basketball championship slated to take place from today until June 18th.
The age grade tournament tagged ‘Encouraging Grassroots Basketball Talents’, is aimed at discovering, developing, and showcasing young slamming and dunking talents across Nigeria, taking the game to a higher level in their hearts and minds.
Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Retired Brigadier-General Aliyu Abdullahi, stated that the championship will be rip-roaring and action-packed, and will feature various side attractions, creating a festive and engaging atmosphere for athletes, officials, and spectators.
General Abdullahi explained in a press statement made available to journalists that the initiative, championed by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR, forms part of his non-kinetic strategy to enhance national security and civil-military relations by engaging youth in meaningful, community-building activities.
“The CDS understands the critical role of Nigeria’s young, vibrant population in national development. This tournament is not only about basketball; it’s about promoting peace, inclusion, discipline, and unity through sport.
“This event promises top-tier basketball action, fun-filled activities, and the chance for young players to win medals, trophies, and other prizes,” Brig.-Gen. Abdullahi emphasized.
“Beyond competition, the championship offers a unique platform for cultural exchange, friendship, and national bonding among young athletes,” he added.
To ensure transparency and credibility, the National Identification Number (NIN), of each player will be used to verify eligibility and eliminate age fraud. All games will be officiated in accordance with FIBA rules, ensuring professionalism and fairness throughout the tournament.
Learn to prepare for the game and make winning decisions when betting on basketball, even if you have no idea how to do it yet. And take advantage of the benefits that Helabet has to offer for basketball punters.
Basketball is a very lucrative sport to bet on if you know what you’re doing. Its high pace, dynamics, high scoring capacity, and the ability of a single star to carry the game (especially in the NBA) provide unique challenges for the punters. But also unique rewards, as constant situation shifts on the court send the odds swinging back and forth. So you can just “snipe the line” waiting for them to tip in your favour. Here are a few easy basketball betting tips that you can use right off the bat.
Preparing to Bet on the Game
If you’re in for a win in the NBA betting, it is paramount to gather as much information about it as you can. Simple attempts at basketball prediction like “Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ‘hot’ recently, so the Bucks will win” won’t get you anywhere in the long run.
Know the Starting Five
It’s crucial to know it as early as possible, since it gives you more time to analyse and decide whether this game is worth betting on. The official NBA website usually posts the line-ups 30–60 minutes before the game starts. But you can get earlier insights through… fantasy basketball websites like Rotowire, and their X (Twitter) accounts. They have their ways of knowing who will play today, about injuries, and often before such information reaches the mainstream media.
Mind the Tanking
Tanking refers to an NBA team that deliberately chooses to perform worse than it should have, judging by its roster. The catch is to lose and go down the conference standings to increase the chances of obtaining a star prospect through a higher draft pick.
This greatly skews basketball prediction, as stars in such teams get benched earlier or may be absent due to “injuries”, and more time is given to rookies. However, once you find the team that is tanking, you can exploit this to your advantage by:
betting on the tanking team to take the first quarter — while it has its main five on the floor and steam to keep going;
over/under betting — knowledge about the tanking team’s offensive and defensive capabilities fading over time hints about how much a particular team or both may score;
live betting — if the tanking team starts strong and takes the lead, this may shift odds to become profitable enough to bet on the other side. Snipe for such moments, especially if the opponent has extra motivation to win (like getting into play-offs). And watch this opponent overtaking the tanking team as the game progresses.
Stay Focused on the Game
If you want your bet to win, you can’t skip the pre-game analysis to determine and compare teams’ condition, motivation, available players, previous results (including against each other), whether a long trip is involved, etc. The more you can take into account — the better you’ll be prepared for various “if X happens, consider Y” events during the game.
Preparing for multiple games is hard, especially for rookie punters. So our sage advice about how to bet on basketball would be to focus on a game of your choice and avoid spreading attention. You can try parlay betting on heavy favourites of the day winning, if you really don’t want to miss the opportunity.
Where to Bet on Basketball
There are numerous basketball betting sites out there that accept Nigerian bettors. However, if you want more favourable odds (and you certainly do), a huge selection of games in NBA, Europe and around the world, as well as some specific features tailored to a Nigerian punter — then Helabet Nigeria could be your first choice. And there are multiple reasons why.
Nigerian Licence
Unlike foreign betting companies that casually accept Nigerian players but can’t be held accountable due to a lack of licence and official representation in the country, Helabet is fully legal. And holds a licence OYSGB/CASB/23119 issued by the Oyo State Gaming Board.
If any disagreement occurs, you have the means and tools other than angry Facebook and Reddit posts to proceed with your case. And every chance for the case to be resolved in your favour, since Helabet has incentives to care for you.
Favourable Odds
Helabet makes jumping between multiple bookies in search of better odds a thing of the past. You can still try, though, but most likely the Helabet’s offer will come on top. The main reason for this is that Helabet is striving to attract more punters to overtake the big boys on the market. So you can take advantage of the situation and increase your winnings from each successful bet!
Convenient Android and iOS Apps
Since most Nigerians bet from their smartphones, having a swift, convenient and reliable app matters. And the Helabet betting app is exactly like this. In addition, it offers a banner-free interface with conveniently sized tiles and buttons and a calm white-and-grey colour scheme. Allowing you to focus on the basketball game, as you wait for the right odds, without any visual distractions.
Helabet app also lets you watch the live broadcast of the chosen basketball game, so you can bet from anywhere with a fast enough mobile Internet or Wi-Fi.
Naira and Popular Nigerian Payment System Support
No need to lose money on cross-border fees and currency conversion, as Helabet fully supports Naira. And offers means to top-up your wallet through Flutterwave, Paystack, Opay and some other popular means like USSD. The minimum deposit and withdrawal amounts (₦250 and ₦500, respectively) are adapted to local habits, allowing placement of very small bets.
Don’t Forget the Bonuses
To make your first steps in basketball betting with Helabet more enjoyable, you are given a 100% deposit bonus for sports betting, as well as some more juicy individual bonuses and promotions to be determined after registration. So feel free to join in!
A US-based former basketballer, Akinwande Oshodi, has inaugurated a clinic for no fewer than 100 U-14 basketball players and officials in Lagos State, as part of efforts to help grow the broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria.
Oshodi, who recently visited Nigeria to organise a one-day programme, emphasised the need for stakeholders and lovers of the sport to invest in it for the upcoming generation.
Oshodi stated that he was full of admiration for the campers, promising to elevate the clinic in 2025 to create a pathway for emerging talents to take their development to the next level.
“Some of them have never played basketball before, while some have played. I think for those who didn’t play, it’s a good foundational training for them.
“And for those who have played, it’s a good way to test their skills against competition. This is the first of many Elevate Basketball Academy programmes.
“Hopefully, we can do this every year and eventually create a foundation or a compound focused on education, basketball, as well as enrichment and empowerment for the children,” Oshodi said.
Expressing delight at the turnout for the clinic, Oshodi said that the subsequent edition would provide more opportunities for aspiring young talents.
“All we want to do is get bigger and better, have more kids, give more people opportunities, and try to find those diamonds in the rough,” he said.
While commending the founder of Elevate Basketball Academy for inspiring the young stars, the Chairperson of the Lagos State Basketball Association (LSBBA), Barbara Harper, called on fans of basketball to invest in the sport to develop the youth.
Harper stated that the association needed the support of ex-internationals and lovers of the sport to contribute their own quota.
The Chairperson praised the organisers and said that the programme would significantly impact the youth and give them a sense of belonging.
“The one-day training in Lagos saw over 100 kids participate, with the best coaches imparting basketball drills and life skills that will help them in the future.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge Nigerians and those in the diaspora to emulate Oshodi by giving back to the community,” Harper said.
Similarly, a basketball coach, Mark Spencer, who participated in the one-day camp, commended Oshodi and the enthusiasm shown by the participants.
Spencer stated that the training would stimulate their interest and encourage the boys and girls to embrace basketball.
“From the ball drills, I think I saw a lot of kids nodding their heads as if to say, ‘oh, I need this.’ So, I think it is a great opportunity for them.
“I want people to come and support these kids, encourage them with camps, provide them with shoes, balls, and other essentials because all these are things we need.
“So, we are very grateful to the organisers for coming over to Nigeria and contributing their quota to the development of the sport,” Spencer said.
Meanwhile, outstanding players were awarded for their efforts during the basketball training, while all campers received certificates of participation.
The one-day training, which engaged the best coaches who imparted basketball drills and life skills to the campers, was held at the Campos Memorial Mini Stadium, Lagos.
The event was supported by the Lagos State Basketball Association and the Youth Alive Basketball Initiative.
The 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final Eight will commence in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital today, November 14.
Eight clubs have been drawn into two groups with matches commencing from 10:00am.
All matches will be decided at the picturesque Basketball Stadium, 53 Niger Street, Old Port Harcourt township.
The venue is the home ground of the reigning Basketball champions in Nigeria, Rivers Hoopers Basketball club of Port Harcourt.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Barr. Chris Green who fielded questions from journalists at a world press conference in Port Harcourt, promised that the state is set to put up a show and host the best ever finals of the competition.
“We hosted the final eight competition last year and it was described by many as the best and we intend to raise the bar a notch higher,” Green said.
“Rivers State is a home of hospitality and excellence. Like the former Minister of Sports in Nigeria, Sam Enoh once said, Port Harcourt and indeed Rivers State has fast become a hub of Sports in the country.
“We welcome all participating clubs and visitors to Port Harcourt. They are assured of the traditional Rivers hospitality and may the best team win,” he concluded.
On the heels of the just successfully concluded 2024 Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Premier Basketball League, the Nigeria Basketball Federation has announced the commencement dates for the highly anticipated 2024 NBBF Men’s Premier Basketball League season.
16 top clubs would compete in both the Atlantic and savannah conferences of the league.
The Savannah Conference will take place in Jos, Plateau State, from 25 October to 3 November, inside the Rayfield Indoor Gym, Jos, Plateau State, while the Atlantic Conference, will be held at the Indoor Sports Hall, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo State, during the same period.
The teams in Atlantic Conference include defending champions Rivers Hoppers, who went ahead to finish in third place at the last edition of the BAL Championship.
Others in the group includes Kwara Falcons of Ilorin, Ebun Comets of Lagos; Hoops And Read of Lagos; Police Baton of Lagos; Lagos Legends of Lagos; Oluyole Warriors of Oyo State and Delta Force of Delta State.
Teams vying for honours in the Savannah Conference are Nigeria Customs of Abuja; Nile University of Abuja; Kano Pillars of Kano and Bauchi Nets of Bauchi. Others are Gboko City Chiefs of Benue State; Gombe Bulls of Gombe State; Correctional Basketball club of Abuja and Plateau Peaks of Jos, Plateau State.
Four teams are expected to qualify from each of the conferences for the final 8 tournament that would decide the 2024 champion.
Meanwhile, the NBBF has reassured teams and officials of a well organised men’s premier league, that would eventually produce a worthy Nigerian champion, that would go ahead to make the nation proud at the continent League, BAL.
The International Basketball Federation, or FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball), is the global governing body for international basketball competitions.
Here are the FIBA world rankings for African countries:
