Rivers Hoopers win seventh Nigerian league title

Rivers Hoopers have won the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League title, ending the reign of the Maktown Flyers with a perfect 3–0 record in the Final Four. The Port Harcourt club sealed the championship in a dramatic 92–90 overtime victory over the Flyers on home ground, according to FIBA.

The result gives the Hoopers their seventh national league crown. Their previous titles came in 2011, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. The victory also restores the team’s position at the top of Nigerian basketball after Maktown Flyers took the championship a year earlier.

Tunisian guard Omar Abada played a decisive role in the final, making a two-point shot that put Rivers Hoopers three points ahead with less than three minutes remaining. He ended the contest with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Centre Peter Olisemeka added 16 points and collected 18 rebounds for a double-double.

The champions had already established control of the Final Four before the title game. They opened with a 74–60 win against Aso Sky Hawks and followed it with an 88–76 victory over Gboko City Chiefs. The final standings placed Rivers Hoopers first at 3–0, followed by Aso Sky Hawks at 2–1, Gboko City Chiefs at 1–2 and Maktown Flyers at 0–3.

Offia takes the individual award

Rivers Hoopers forward Abel Offia was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Offia, who represented Nigeria at the 2023 FIBA AfroCan tournament, also earned a place on the season’s All-Tournament Team.

He was selected alongside teammates Abada and Olisemeka, with Paul Dibal of Aso Sky Hawks and Thomas Marcus of Gboko City Chiefs completing the five-player lineup.

Offia credited the championship to the collective effort of the squad, coaching staff and wider organisation. He described the MVP recognition as evidence that his work had been noticed, while also treating it as an incentive to continue developing and contributing to the team. His comments stressed that the award could not have been achieved without his teammates and coaches.

The forward also looked ahead to Rivers Hoopers’ return to the Basketball Africa League. He said the Nigerian champions would arrive motivated, but recognised that the BAL would present a higher level of competition. Preparation, discipline and unity, he indicated, would be essential as the team represents Rivers State and Nigeria.

A revised league structure

The 2026 NPBL season began after the Nigeria Basketball Federation moved the scheduled opening from May 12 to May 16. The change followed approval for additional teams by the League Management Committee, taking the competition’s total to 20 clubs.

The league retained its Atlantic and Savannah conferences. The Savannah field included Nigeria Customs Services, Nile University, Gboko City Chiefs, Maktown Flyers, Plateau Peaks, Gombe Bulls, Kano Pillars, Bauchi Nets, Niger Potters, the 313 Warriors and Aso Sky Hawks. The Atlantic conference featured Rivers Hoopers, the Comets, Hoops and Reads, Kwara Falcons, Athletes for Peace, Edo Beads, Raptors, Coal City Blazers and Confluence Kings.

Early conference games were staged in several Nigerian cities. Group A in the Savannah Conference was played at Rayfield Basketball Stadium in Jos, while Abuja hosted Group B. In the Atlantic Conference, Group A was held at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan and Group B at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

From the Final Eight to Port Harcourt

The competition narrowed to a Final Eight tournament at the Indoor Basketball Stadium on Niger Street in Port Harcourt from August 29 to September 6. The field consisted of the four leading teams from each conference.

The Atlantic qualifiers were Rivers Hoopers, Maktown Flyers, Hoops & Read and Lagos Raptors. Aso Sky Hawks, the 313 Warriors, Gboko City Chiefs and Kano Pillars advanced from the Savannah Conference.

Port Harcourt was then selected to host the season-ending Final Four in late September. That setting gave Rivers Hoopers home-court advantage, which they converted into three victories and a championship celebration. For the club, the title is both a seventh domestic success and a platform for its next challenge in continental competition.