Nigerian Premier League (basketball) explained

Nigerian Premier League
Organiser:Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF)
Founded:1995
First:1995
Country:Nigeria
Confed:FIBA Africa
Divisions:2
Teams:24
(2023)
Confed Cup:Basketball Africa League
Champions:Rivers Hoopers (5th title)
Season:2023
Most Champs:Kano Pillars (7 titles)
Current:2023 Nigerian Basketball Premier League

The Nigerian Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NPL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Nigeria. The league consists of sixteen teams who are categorized into two conferences based on the geographical location. These conferences are Savannah and the Atlantic.

Format

The league usually spans from March till mid year. Each team plays a total of 14 games in a regular season after which the top four teams qualify for the Final Eight Playoffs which usually takes place at the National Stadium Surulere Lagos. The team at the bottom of the table in each conference is relegated from the league. Towards the end of the year, the Division 1 Championship is held to determine who will be promoted to the DSTV League for the new season. In the 2014 season, Royal Hoopers of Rivers State and Niger Potter of Nigers State were both relegated from the Atlantic and Savannah Conference respectively. Accordingly, the Delta Force and FCT Rocks were promoted to the league having won the Division 1 Championship in November 2014.

Amendments were made to the schedule of events this season. At the end of the season, the top six teams from each conference will play conference playoffs to determine the winner of each conference before the top four of each conference will play the Final Eight Playoffs to determine the league winner. This is to increase the number of games played by each team in a particular season.

History

The Nigerian Premier League was founded in 1995.[1]

In 2017, Nigeria Basketball Federation reached an agreement with Kwese Sports for the title rights of the league. The deal runs till 2021,and it was worth $12 million.[2]

Since 2021, the champions of the Premier League qualify directly for the regular season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Africa's new first-tier created as a joint venture by the NBA and FIBA.

In the 2021 season, the league was organised by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports, after they earlier dissolved the caretaker committee of the NBBF.[3] FIBA rules prohibit governments from intervening in federations, which is why the championship was ruled illegitimate. As a result, the 2021 champions Rivers Hoopers were excluded from participation in the 2022 BAL season.[4]

Sponsorships

For sponsorship reasons the league has known several names in its existence. The league was sponsored by the DSTV until 2017, who had both title and TV rights through the contract agreement. The league was then referred to as the DSTV Premier Basketball League.

List of winners

Seasonwidth=180 Championswidth=180 Runner-upFinalsscoreFinalsvenue
2023Rivers HoopersGboko City ChiefsRound-robinRivers State Complex, Port Harcourt[7]
2022Kwara FalconsNigeria Customs78–53National Stadium, Lagos[8]
20211Rivers HoopersGombe Bulls74–57Abuja Sports Hall, Abuja[9]
2020Not held
2019Rivers HoopersRaptors97–57National Stadium, Lagos[10]
2018Gombe BullsKwara Falcons[11]
2017Kano PillarsGombe Bulls[12]
2016Kano PillarsNigeria Customs[13]
2015Mark MentorsKano Pillars[14]
2014Kano PillarsMark Mentors[15]
2013Kano PillarsUnion Bank[16]
2012Royal HoopersKano Pillars[17]
2011Royal HoopersKano Pillars
2010Kano PillarsUnion Bank[18]
2009Kano PillarsLagos Islanders83–72National Stadium, Lagos
2008Kano PillarsUnion Bank[19]
2007Ebun CometsUnion Bank74–64[20]
2006Plateau PeaksDodan Warriors2–0Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna
2005Ebun CometsNiger PottersRound-robin[21] [22]
2003Ebun Comets[23]
2001Lagos IslandersPlateau Peaks70–55[24]
2000Lagos Islanders
1999Lagos Islanders
1998Lagos Islanders
1997Lagos Islanders
1 The 2021 season was not organised by the NBBF, but by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports in a response to the lack of . FIBA did not recognise Rivers Hoopers as champions, which caused them to lose their place in the 2022 BAL season.

Titles by club

!Club!Champions!Runners-up!Years won
Kano Pillars722008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
Lagos Islanders501997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Rivers Hoopers502011, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2023
Ebun Comets302003, 2005, 2007
Gombe Bulls122018
Plateau Peaks112006
Kwara Falcons112022

Clubs

Savannah Conference

ClubCity
Abuja
Bauchi
Kano
Abuja
Jos
Gombe
Minna
Kaduna

Atlantic Conference

ClubCity
Ibadan
Asaba
Lagos
Lagos
Lagos
Lagos
Bayelsa
Ilorin
Port-Harcourt

In the Basketball Africa League

The champions of the Nigerian Premier League qualify directly to the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Two teams, namely Rivers Hoopers and Kwara Falcons, have represented the country in the BAL thus far.

SeasonRepresentativeRoad to BALMain competition
ResultQualifiedResult
2021Rivers Hoopers12 3rd in Group Phase
2022Rivers Hooperscolspan=3
2023Kwara Falcons056th in Sahara Conference
Total––17

Individual awards

In some seasons, the NBBF has awarded individual awards to the best performing players of a given Premier League season.

Most Valuable Player

Finals Most Valuable Player

References

  1. News: Akalonu . Eddie . 2002-09-01 . Nigeria: Islanders Kings Again . Vanguard.
  2. Web site: Joshua . Odeyemi . April 9, 2017 . NBBF unveils Kwese Sports as new league sponsor . 2017-09-21 . Daily Trust . 2017-09-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170922003929/https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/sports/nbbf-unveils-kwese-sports-as-new-league-sponsor/192781.html . dead .
  3. Web site: 2021-10-27 . Sports ministry dissolves NBBF caretaker committee . 2022-06-28 . TheCable . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2022-02-15 . Why did Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers get booted out of the BAL? . 2022-06-28 . ESPN.com . en.
  5. News: Ayinor . Pius . 2006-08-01 . Nigeria: Vmobile League - Peaks to Keep Trophy Forever . 2024-02-25 . AllAfrica.com.
  6. News: 2005-03-26 . Nigeria: Vmobile League: the Creation of Bumper Basketball . This Day.
  7. Web site: Busari . Niyi . Rivers Hoopers Crowned NBBF Final 4 Champions, Pick BAL Ticket . 2023-11-25 . BSN Sports.
  8. Web site: Omoniyi . Oluwaferanmi . 2022-11-13 . NBBF Final 8: Kwara Falcons wins first title as High school student emereges MVP . 2022-11-15 . Premium Times Nigeria . en-GB.
  9. News: Saliu . Mohammed . Rivers Hoopers Knock Bulls to Claim Championship, BAL TIcket . 18 November 2021 . Brila.net . 18 November 2021.
  10. Web site: River Hoopers win 2019 NBBF President's Cup, qualify for Basketball Africa League. 18 November 2019.
  11. Web site: Gombe Bulls win 2018 Kwese Basketball League, get N20m prize. 9 October 2018. Daily Trust. 6 October 2019.
  12. Web site: Basketball: Kano Pillars Clinch Kwese League title . September 9, 2017 . 2017-09-12.
  13. Web site: Kano Pillars Crowned Champions Of The 2016 DSTV Premier Basketball League . June 28, 2016 . Eagle Online . 2017-09-12.
  14. Web site: Mark Mentors Win DSTV Basketball League . Channels Television . 2017-09-13.
  15. Web site: Mark Mentors Win DSTV Basketball League . August 15, 2015 . 2017-09-12.
  16. Web site: Basketball: Kano Pillars Emerge Champions of DSTV PBL . September 8, 2013 . Information Nigeria . 2017-09-13.
  17. Web site: Royal Hoopers Retain DStv Men's Basketball League Title . August 1, 2012 . Tide News . 2017-09-13.
  18. Web site: Kano Pillars Wins 2013 DSTV Basketball League . 2017-09-13.
  19. Web site: 2008-11-03 . Nigeria - Kano Pillars win Premier Basketball League . 2023-10-30 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  20. Web site: Nigeria - Comets Win Premier League, Qualify for African Cup . 2022-08-12 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  21. Web site: NGR - Comets, Customs in VMobile Premier League opener . 2022-08-12 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  22. News: Nigeria: Vmobile League: Final Table Reads Upside Down .
  23. Web site: Ebun Comets Lagos . 2022-08-12 . Eurobasket LLC.
  24. News: 2001-07-31 . Nigeria: Islanders Win 7-Up Basketball League Again . P.M. News (Lagos).
  25. Web site: 2009-11-05 . NGR - Kano Pillars emerge Nigerian league champions . 2023-11-25 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  26. Web site: 2011-05-26 . NGR - Nigeria name 16-man squad for training camp . 2023-11-25 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  27. Web site: Afrbk: 15:50 . Basketball in Africa: NIGERIA : Premier Basketball League: Royal Hoopers BC road to glory . 2023-11-25.
  28. Web site: 2013-09-07 . Kano Pillars wins Nigerian Basketball league . 2023-11-25 . Nigerian Bulletin . en-US.
  29. Web site: Basketball in Africa: NIGERIA : MVP Usman Inspires Kano Pillars to Victory . 2023-11-25.
  30. Web site: Rivers Hoopers boost squad with Yahaya and Akita, set eyes on Elite 8 . 2023-11-25 . FIBA.basketball . en . The 28-year-old Yahaya helped Mark Mentors to the Nigeria domestic league title in 2015 where he emerged as the Most Valuable Player [...].
  31. Web site: Nigeria new champions Kano Pillars qualify for FIBA Africa Champions Cup Zone 3 qualifier . 2023-11-25 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  32. Web site: Moseph . Queen . 2018-10-10 . 2018 my greatest in basketball - Abdulrahman Mohammed . 2023-11-25 . ACLSports . en-GB.
  33. Web site: 2019-11-19 . Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers secure BAL ticket . 2023-11-25 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  34. Web site: Saliu . Mohammed . 2021-11-18 . Rivers Hoopers Knock Bulls to Claim Championship, BAL TIcket . 2023-11-25 . Latest Sports News In Nigeria . en-US.
  35. Web site: NWAFOR JOSEPH`S DOUBLE DOUBLE COULDN`T SECURE KANO PILLARS` FIRST WIN OF THE SERI MUTIARA CUP 2017 . 2023-11-25 . bballnaija.com.
  36. Web site: https://twitter.com/RiversHoopers/status/1460823515024793602 . 2023-11-25 . X (formerly Twitter) . en.

External links

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