Rivers Hoopers reclaim NPBL crown, secure seventh title, 2027 BAL return

Rivers Hoopers have been crowned champions of the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) after completing an unbeaten run in the Final Four playoffs in Port Harcourt.

The KingsMen sealed their seventh NPBL title with a perfect finish, following up Monday’s championship-clinching victory over Gboko City Chiefs with a dramatic overtime win against Maktown Flyers on Tuesday.

Hoopers had secured the title with a game to spare after dismantling Gboko City Chiefs 88-76 on Monday, before rounding off their campaign with a pulsating 92-90 victory over Maktown Flyers.

The victory over the Chiefs was built around a barrage from beyond the arc, with Rivers Hoopers draining 12 three-pointers on their way to the 88-76 triumph.

Earlier on Monday, Maktown Flyers had suffered a 72-64 defeat to Aso SkyHawks, a result that mathematically confirmed Hoopers as champions before their final game.

But despite having already secured the crown, the KingsMen showed no signs of easing off as they produced another battling performance against Maktown on Tuesday to complete an unbeaten Final Four campaign.

The victory carried added significance for Hoopers, as it provided redemption for last season’s painful championship defeat to the same opponents.

Maktown had edged Rivers Hoopers 74-72 in last season’s title decider, snatching victory in the closing seconds on Hoopers’ home court.

A year later, Ogoh Odaudu’s side turned the tables on their rivals and celebrated the championship on home soil.

For Hoopers head coach Odaudu, the triumph was about more than another league title. It was a response to the heartbreak of last season.

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“I’m really, really happy,” Odaudu said.

“We had a heartbreak at home here last season, and we didn’t want thunder to strike in the same place twice. We put up a good fight, and right now I’m really happy for the boys, happy for the crowd, happy for Rivers State, and happy that we’re back where we’re supposed to be.

“We didn’t want to keep the game close and let it go down to the wire. We wanted to blow them out and ensure that we had control of the game, and the players played it to perfection. I’m really, really proud of them.”

The 2026 championship also restores Rivers Hoopers to the continental basketball stage.

With the NPBL crown secured, the KingsMen have earned Nigeria’s place in the 2027 Basketball Africa League, marking their return to the continental competition after a season-long absence.

For Rivers Hoopers, it is a seventh league crown, an unbeaten Final Four run and a long-awaited response to last season’s heartbreak; all capped by another dramatic victory over the team that denied them the title a year ago.