Pius Ayinor
Former NBA coach David Fizdale has been named by the Nigeria Basketball Federation as D’Tigers coach (Nigeria men’s basketball team).
The Nigerian federation said on Saturday that hiring Fizdale was in the quest of achieving a long-term vision of building a world-class basketball structure and teams capable of competing at the highest international levels. The NBBF added that it has considered it, “dire to strengthen the technical ecosystem of its national teams to properly harness basketball talents from within and beyond Nigerian shores.”
NBBF President, Musa Kida, said by the weekend, “David Fizdale, represents the level of leadership, professionalism, and basketball knowledge that aligns with our vision for the future of Nigerian basketball. His experience, relationships, and understanding of the modern global game, will be invaluable, as we continue building a programme capable of competing with the very best in the world.
“Beyond the national team, we believe his presence will contribute significantly to player development, coaching education, and the continued growth of basketball in Nigeria. This is about building a sustainable future and creating an environment where Nigerian basketball can thrive globally for years to come.”
Fizdale’s work starts with the “aspirations of leading the country to the 2028 Olympics in his hometown of Los Angeles,” he told ESPN Andscape on Friday.
Fizdale has an NBA regular-season head coaching record of 71-134 with the Memphis Grizzlies (2016-17) and New York Knicks (2018-19). The 51-year-old most recently coached in the NBA as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns from 2023 to 2025.
Nigeria’s men’s basketball team has made three Olympic appearances in 2012, 2016 and 2020. Current Knicks head coach Mike Brown coached D’Tigers during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and enjoyed exhibition wins over the United States and Argentina.
ESPN reports that Brown played a strong role in convincing Fizdale, who, similar to Brown, played collegiately at the University of San Diego, to take the Nigeria job. Nigerian Basketball Federation board member Ugo Udezue, a former Wyoming centre and NBA agent, also played a substantial role in Fizdale taking the job.
The long and challenging process for Olympic qualification for D’Tigers begins with participation in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers from July 2-5 in Luanda, Angola. Nigeria is scheduled to play against Angola, Guinea, Tunisia and Rwanda.
Photo: David Fizdale (USA Today)
Extrasportnigeria 
Leave a comment