The Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final Eight produced fireworks, and now, the stakes are higher, the pressure is mounting, the passion is endless, and the talent is overflowing as the final four take centre stage.
With defending champions Rivers Hoopers, Gboko City Chiefs, Lagos Legends, and Nigeria Customs all vying for the coveted championship and, by extension, the Basketball Africa League spot, the final four promises more excitement.
The Teams:
Rivers Hoopers: The KingsMen are aiming for a seventh overall crown and a three-peat. They have long dominated the NPBL, having won the title most recently in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, holding a winning streak that dated back to 2022 before it was snapped by Lagos Legends in the final eight. They are the team everyone wants to take down.
The KingsMen won their first NPBL championship in 2011. They repeated as champions in 2012, led by star player Azuoma Dike, who was named the league’s MVP. They have twice represented Nigeria in the Basketball Africa League. In 2021, they exited in the Group Stage. However, in 2024, they came back stronger, winning the bronze medal. The Hoopers have experience and depth going for them.
Coach: Ogoh Odaudu
Assistant Coach: Johnson Orupabo
Captain: Victor Anthony Koko
Lagos Legends: The Maktown Flyers topped the Final Eight table alongside the Hoopers, with six wins and one loss. They will be looking to carry on their impeccable form to the final four and unseat the Rivers Hoopers, who they handed their first defeat since 2022 in the Final Eight. Legends are incredibly composed, consistent, and efficient on both ends of the court.
Coach: Michael Ikema
Assistant Coach: Benjamin Nenge
Key Players: Patrick Abah, Tolani Buhari and Lucky Subel
Gboko City Chiefs: The titled men got close to the championship last year, finishing as the third-placed team, after falling to a 79-73 defeat to Rivers Hoopers in the semi-final. In the final eight, they recorded five wins and two losses.
Gboko City Chiefs play physical and aggressive basketball, and the hunger is evident, but they lack the ability to close out games, capitulating and often falling short in the fourth quarter – a mental hurdle they must overcome to win the title.
Assistant Coach: Ier Kennedy, Anyebe Ujoh
Key Players: Kareem Joseph, Victor Evans, and Hassan French
Nigeria Customs: The border boys are the dark horse/underdogs. They edged out Kano Pillars, Hoops and Read, and Nile University to qualify for the final four.
Coach: Mohammed ‘Jagu’ Abba
Key Players: Favour Aboje, Godwin David and Ibe Agu
The Final Four will be executed in a round robin format, with each team playing against each other, and the team that garners the most points tally crowned champions of the 2025 NPBL.
The games are set to begin on Friday, November 21st, with Nigeria Customs vs Lagos Legends, followed by Gboko City Chiefs vs Rivers Hoopers
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