Nigerian-Canadian basketball player and Rivers Hoopers guard, Kelvin Amayo, has narrated on his basketball journey, from his college days to becoming a professional player, and his dream of representing Nigeria on the international stage.

In a recent interview, Amayo shared insights into his career, challenges, accomplishments, and ambitions for Nigerian basketball.

Winning the NBBF Championship with Rivers Hoopers

Amayo played a key role in Rivers Hoopers’ success in winning the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) title last year after competing in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

“I’m just happy to be part of the club. We did amazing things in the BAL last year, and being able to come and win the championship in Nigeria and do the amazing things we did as a group, you can’t think too much about it like that, I just enjoy the process.”

Amayo acknowledged the intense competition from teams like Gboko Chiefs and Hoops and Read during the NBBF championship, particularly the semi-finals, which he described as the defining game.

“The semi-final game was the championship game for me. Whoever won that game was going to the BAL, but I was confident.”

“Since I landed in Nigeria for the championship, I knew we were going to win. We had Peter, Koko Junior, Abel, and a lot of guys doing great jobs.”

“Our opponents were tough, but what our guys brought to the game gave us the edge to close the games, and we had the best coach in Africa.”

Connecting with Nigeria and Joining Rivers Hoopers

Though Amayo grew up in Canada and developed his basketball career in the United States, his Nigerian roots run deep.

“I am from Benin. I don’t know too much, but my mum, dad, and uncles do speak the language, but I’ve never been there.”

“Whenever I get the chance to be in Nigeria and hang out for a little bit, I probably would just want to go.”

Amayo also spoke on what influenced his decision to join Rivers Hoopers.

“I just wanted to play for Nigeria, and the Hoopers were in the BAL. When we came and did what we did, coach Ogoh, the GM, and the media officer Queen did a lot of work to make sure I came.”

“Everyone knew what I did with the Mali team the year before. They understood that I should come back home, and they had the right presentation.”

“To be honest, it’s just a testament to my hard work. My mother and father are from here, and I get the opportunity to push the narrative for Nigeria and other kids who are watching. So, this is one of the best decisions in my career.”

Kevin Amayo Dreams of Playing for Nigeria

Amayo has long aspired to represent Nigeria on the international stage, and his time with Rivers Hoopers has brought him closer to that goal.

“To be honest, getting Nigeria to the Olympics is part of my dream so we can show who we are as a country. When I do that, I can feel like I’m done. I want to play for Nigeria.”

“They have seen my body of work over the years to know that I should be a part of that for the AfroBasket, World Cup, and the Olympics coming up in three years.”

“If they call me up and we have a good team that can showcase the best for Nigeria, I’m down.”

From NCAA to Professional Basketball

Amayo’s basketball journey started in the United States, where he played through elementary, middle school, high school, and college.

He earned full scholarships to Towson University and Loyola Marymount, where he built a reputation for his athleticism and leaping abilities.

However, injuries during his college career shaped his mindset for the professional game.

“The NCAA was a great opportunity to understand who I was. I think getting full scholarships to all these schools for academics and sports was amazing.”

“People dream about that kind of stuff. When I got the opportunity, I worked extremely hard to sustain it and do more.”

“I felt down a little bit with adversity when I started having injuries three out of four years I was in college.”

“I think I needed that, so when it was time for me to be a professional, I took from the lesson of that situation.”

Handling NBA Draft Disappointment

Amayo was eligible for the NBA draft in 2017 but went undrafted. Rather than seeing it as a setback, he used it as motivation.

“I didn’t take it as a disappointment. I kind of understood who I was and focused on working on my body. That is what the game is.”

“Sometimes you can get the opportunity, sometimes you can’t. I just needed to continue working hard so I could play basketball for a living.”

“I just focused on whoever was going to give me the opportunities and wanted to be ready for it.”

Experiences Abroad: Georgia and Iran

Amayo’s professional career has taken him to countries like Georgia and Iran, where he achieved quite a lot.

“The experience in Georgia was something I truly needed. In my first year, I sat out just rehabbing my knee and working on my game.”

“When I started playing, I exploded. In my first game, I think I had like 29 or 30 points and just kept on scoring, playing defence. Georgia taught me so much.”

In Iran, Amayo thrived, winning league MVP honors and establishing himself as one of the best players in the league.

“In my first year, I won MVP of the league and showed everybody that I was better than what people were saying.”

“They love basketball in Iran. I caught everybody off guard. In my first game, I had 17 points, in the second game I had 42 points, and then I started getting 30s subsequently.”

“By the second year, everybody was ready for me, and I still scored high.”

The BAL and Nigerian Basketball’s Future

Amayo has competed in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) with both Rivers Hoopers and Mali’s Stade Malien, winning bronze medals with both clubs. He believes the BAL is a global platform that showcases his hard work and talent.

“The BAL setting is one of the best in the world, and I feel like the work I’ve done in silence, the BAL allows me to showcase it.”

“It’s not just me but also my teammates. I just can’t wait to continue to showcase what I’ve been able to add in this little time off.”

Looking ahead, Amayo is optimistic about Rivers Hoopers’ chances of winning the BAL title this year.

“I think we can win this season if everything aligns and we keep pushing every game.”

“Last year, people didn’t think we could make it out of the preliminaries. Coach Ogoh and everybody are doing a great job with development.”

Giving Back to Nigerian Basketball

Amayo also hopes to inspire young athletes and help grow basketball in Nigeria.

“My mother and father are from here, and I get the opportunity to push the narrative for Nigeria. Other kids are watching.”

“I have so much stuff I’m working on, and we are going to be able to help young athletes.”

(Credit: ABIODUN ADEWALE)