Underdogs Lagos Legends won the Nigeria Premier Basketball League with a 74-72 victory over Rivers Hoopers in the Final Four, ending the Kingsmen’s three-peat bid and claiming the country's sole 2026 Basketball Africa League ticket.
Last Updated on
November 25, 2025
In a storybook finish for the ages, the Lagos Legends have been crowned the 2025 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Champions, dethroning the reigning KingsMen in a heart-stopping clash on their home court on Niger Street, Port-Harcourt.
The final game of the season delivered everything fans could hope for, with high-stakes, relentless energy and a last-minute comeback that left home spectators stunned. Coming off a stunning victory over the previously unbeaten Rivers Hoopers, the Legends carried that momentum from the Final eight playoffs into Sunday's championship decider, determined to complete their 'Cinderella run'.
Patrick Abah of the Lagos Legends, who was later named as the league's Most Valuable Player, finished with 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win, but it was Tolani Buhari who led the scorers chart with 15 points, three rebounds and provided two assists. For the Kingsmen, Idoga Johnwalker posted 14 points and could only manage to grab one rebound.
From the opening tip-off, the intensity was palpable. The Legends struck first with a deep three-pointer, but the KingsMen answered back, edging out a narrow 20-19 lead by the end of the first quarter. The battle continued relentlessly, with the teams locked in a 32-32 deadlock at halftime.
Emerging from the break, the KingsMen managed to carve out a slim three-point lead by the end of the third quarter. But in the final period, the true character of the Lagos Legends shone through. Knowing full well that their season was on the line, they unleashed their depth and belief as the game climaxed with just 15 seconds left and the score tied 72-72.
In a devastating turn for the home crowd, a careless pass from the Rivers Hoopers was intercepted by the Legends. They exploded into a fast break, converting a layup to surge ahead by two points.
The arena held its breath as the Hoopers inbounded the ball for one final, desperate possession. But before they could even attempt a game-tying shot, the final buzzer sounded, sealing a dramatic 74-72 victory for the Lagos Legends and silencing the home crowd.
With this historic win, the Lagos Legends have claimed Nigeria's sole ticket to represent the country in the 2026 Basketball Africa League.
Former BAL Coach of the Year and Hoopers Coach Ogoh Odaudu took full responsibility for the poor game management in the final moments of the game.
"The last possession where we were two points up, we gave up possession and we could have fouled them but maybe it was lack of concentration or fatigue. I can't really explain what went wrong but I take full responsibility for the collapse late on."
Winning coach, Michael Ikiba praised his team and also talked about how they intend to approach the BAL next year now that they will be representing the country.
“I have a crop of fighters and I have been saying all that from the start of the season, I can't go into specifics now but they are the main heroes and they deserved this win. You could see that they fought until the end and we give all the glory to God. Port Harcourt is a beautiful city, and the fans were great. It has always been the home of basketball in Nigeria and I am happy that we could do it here this year.
As for the BAL, we will go back to the drawing board, we are not limited and restricted to Nigeria and when we get there, these same set of players will be ready to compete, make the country proud and we will be ready to carry the same drive that has seen us emerge as champions here today.”
The captain of the winning team Bright Akhuetie also shared his excitement afterwards,
“I am happy we won despite having struggled with too many challenges as basic as even finding facilities to practice but we are happy it ended well for us today. When we got here, we were not intimidated by the atmosphere, I just told my players, keep your heads up, it is not over until it is over wherever we play, it is 5 vs 5 so no need to be intimated.”
He also shared his thoughts as regards the final seconds of the game and said he wants his side to showcase Nigeria positively on the continent.
“To describe the last few seconds, we thought it was slipping away again but I told the guys, one play at a time, we are not giving up and it worked for us eventually.
We are excited about participating in the BAL, the fans can expect the best from us, we will go out there and do better than most debutants with good preparations and hard work, Hoopers had done great by reaching the last four in 2024, we hope to do same and eventually project Nigeria's name positively in the competition as well.”
Commissioner for Sports in Rivers State, Barrister Chris Green expressed his disappointment at the final outcome but maintained that it was just a bad day in the office,
“The better team won, they played a more coordinated game, my team didn’t manage the game well so Legends deserved their win. There is no need for an overhaul, we are a professional club and today wasn't just meant to be but we will keep supporting the team so they can achieve future successes.”
Earlier in the day, the Nigeria Customs and Gboko City Chiefs faced off in a fiercely competitive bronze medal game.
The first half was a shootout, with both teams trading three-pointers. The Border Boys were red-hot from the start, hitting four of their first six attempts from beyond the arc. The Chiefs, however, showcased incredible persistence, fighting for every loose ball and capitalising on second-chance opportunities to keep the score tied 45-45 at halftime.
A defensive stalemate gripped the third quarter, with both sides struggling to score for nearly two minutes. Nigeria Customs was propelled by stellar performances from Favour Aboje and Oghenetega David, who poured in 25 and 22 points, respectively. Despite their valiant efforts, the Customs fell just short, with the Gboko City Chiefs securing a hard-earned 80-77 victory.
The league also announced the Championship's Top Five players:
[Photography Courtesy of Rivers Hoopers Media]
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