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Rivers Hoopers have successfully defended their title as champions of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL), earning a 71-54 point victory over Hoops and Read Basketball Club in the playoff final on Monday in Port Harcourt.
This win secures the Hoopers’ place in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL), where they made history earlier this year by becoming the first Nigerian team to reach the podium.
Guard Kelvin Amayo was the standout performer, scoring 29 points, including 20 in the first half, to propel his team to victory.
Amayo also contributed two assists and one rebound, leading the Hoopers to their sixth league title.
The victory caps off an impressive season for the Port Harcourt-based team, who finished the NBPL campaign with an unbeaten 12-0 record from the Conference Finals through to the playoffs.
The game was competitive early on, with Lagos’ Hoops and Read, who had edged Nile University Spartans in the semifinals, keeping pace in the first quarter.
Hoopers led 24-18 at the end of the first quarter and extended their advantage to 34-29 at halftime. By the third quarter, the Hoopers had built a solid 51-41 lead, eventually sealing the win at 71-54.
Reflecting on the challenges of being the defending champions, Hoopers’ captain Victor Anthony sharec that their success has made them the target of every other team in the league.
“It’s an awesome journey. My team is a team everybody wants to beat. Everybody that prepares for this season prepares for the Rivers Hoopers,” Anthony said.
“Most of the team, they don’t even prepare for winning the championship. They just want to beat Hoopers,” he explained.
“As it is, I won’t say my team is the best. There are so many best teams out there, but by the favour and mercy of God, that’s what makes us become victorious.”
Anthony also tracked back to their third-place finish in the 2024 BAL and set his sights on winning the championship in the 2025 season.
“For the 2025 BAL, my aim and the aim of my team is to win it,” he said confidently.
With the victory, Rivers Hoopers will now turn their attention to the 2025 BAL, to compete better than the last competition.
