Nigeria’s hopes for success in Olympic basketball could receive a significant boost, as Orlando Magic’s Desmond Bane has expressed his desire to “make something happen” by recruiting fellow NBA stars to support the D’Tigers. Although Bane is officially listed as American by the NBA, he has Nigerian heritage and has yet to represent any nation on the international stage.
Having qualified for their first Olympics in London 2012, Nigeria’s basketball team also competed in the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games but missed the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. When asked about the possibility of joining the national team, Bane said, “I would for sure. We just need to get all the Nigerians together for the Olympics coming up in the next couple of years and make something happen.”
Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie, who was born in Lagos but raised in the USA, is already a member of the Nigerian national team. Bane mentioned that he has spoken with other players about joining the cause. “I’d talk to Aaron Nesmith (Indiana Pacers),” the 27-year-old told BBC Sport. “Me and Gabe Vincent (Los Angeles Lakers) also talked about it a little bit. We need to do it.”
Forwards Precious Achiuwa and Adem Bona, who play for the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers respectively, are also Nigerian-listed NBA players. Currently ranked 50th in the world by FIBA, Nigeria has dropped to 7th among African nations and faces uncertainty about reaching the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The team’s first chance at qualification may come through the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, where they would need to finish as the highest-ranked of the five competing African nations. However, they must first qualify, and they currently sit third in their first-round group behind Guinea and Tunisia. Additionally, there will be a separate African Olympic qualification tournament featuring six nations, with the winner securing a spot in LA.
Bane recently participated in this year’s NBA Global Games, where Orlando beat the Memphis Grizzlies in Berlin but lost the return match in London. While in Germany, NBA commissioner Adam Silver discussed the potential for a new European continental league to complement the Basketball Africa League, which has been running since 2021 and is also backed by the NBA. Bane expressed his enthusiasm for the growing global impact and talent pool in basketball, saying, “I think it’s great. You hear about NBA Europe and discussions about Nigeria; there are so many talented players everywhere.”
