Nigeria spring historic upset of USA men’s basketball in Olympic tune-up
- Nigeria win 90-87 over heavily favored Americans in Vegas
- Result marks USA’s first ever defeat to an African opponent
- USA defeated Nigeria by 83 points at 2012 London Olympics
Nigeria men’s national basketball team
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| FIBA ranking | 22  |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Joined FIBA | 1964 | ||
| FIBA zone | FIBA Africa | ||
| National federation | Nigeria Basketball Federation | ||
| Coach | Mike Brown Alexander Nwora |
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| Nickname(s) | D’Tigers | ||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 3 | ||
| FIBA World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 | ||
| AfroBasket | |||
| Appearances | 18 | ||
| Medals |    |
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| All Africa Games | |||
| Appearances | 8 | ||
| Medals |   |
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The Nigeria national basketball team represents Nigeria in men’s international basketball and it is overseen by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
In March 2021, the global governing body FIBA ranked Nigeria as Africa’s top men’s basketball nation.[2] After the 2016 Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament in Rio, Nigeria was ranked 16th in the FIBA World Rankings, making them the top climber in FIBA rankings from 2015.
Nigeria is the only African nation to ever qualify for the Summer Olympics through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. This was accomplished at the 2012 Event when Nigeria beat the world elite teams of Lithuania and Greece. In 2015, Nigeria won its first crown as basketball champion of Africa.
D’Tigers pulled off the international shocker by beating the United States national team with a roster primarily filled of little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.
The 22nd-ranked nation by FIBA beating the No. 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.
The Nigeria men’s basketball team made 20 3-pointers and stunned the United States 90-87 on Saturday in a pre-Olympic exhibition game in Las Vegas. “I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
This is not how USA Basketball expected to open their Olympic summer. Nigeria probably didn’t expect it, either.
If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it’s already gone – after Nigeria shocked the US, 90-87, on Saturday night.
The result marked the top-ranked United States’ first ever defeat to an African nation.
Nigeria pulled off an international shocker with a roster primarily filled of little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.
“We just wanted to compete,” said Nigeria‘s Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat. “We know what USA Basketball means around the world and what they’ve stood for for so long.”
The US had lost 11 games before Saturday in major international play Olympics and World Cups, mostly since NBA players began filling the American rosters with the first Dream Team in 1992.
“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of threes,” US coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
The box score from Saturday’s send-off series opener told all. Nnamdi led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17 points, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the US 60-30 from three-point range while outrebounding the hosts, 46-34.
Let the inquest begin. https://t.co/QXJnQz3uq4 pic.twitter.com/BqoLGkTwRK
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) July 11, 2021
Kevin Durant, who had never before played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 senior international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15, Damian Lillard had 14 and Bam Adebayo 11.
“Just goes to show that we have to play better,” Tatum said.
The Americans had gone 39-0 in their last three Olympic seasons – including pre-Olympic exhibitions – on their way to gold medals and had been 54-2 in major exhibitions since NBA players began playing for USA Basketball in 1992. Plus, they’d beaten Nigeria by a combined 127 points in their last two meetings, one at the 2012 London Games, the other a warm-up for the 2016 Rio Games.
Nigeria lost to the US at the 2012 Olympics by 83 points. Lost to the Americans again four years later in an exhibition, that time by 44 points.
Not this time.
this dude has now lost to a team that he once beat by 83 points pic.twitter.com/D3AE6ijALF
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) July 11, 2021
“Nigeria’s come a long way with their basketball,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.
Ike Iroegbu – a former Washington State player who some time in the G League – hit a three-pointer with about 1:15 left to put Nigeria up 88-80. Durant scored the next seven points for the US; a three-pointer, two free throws following a turnover, then two more from the line with 16.5 seconds remaining.
Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore Nigeria’s three-point edge. The Americans ran 9.7 seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession without getting a shot off, and Zach LaVine missed a pair of free throws – the second intentionally – with 3.5 seconds left.
Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it. It’s only an exhibition – but the upset was still of the massive variety, the 22nd-ranked nation by Fiba beating the No 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.
Popovich heard the final buzzer and shook hands with Nigeria coach Mike Brown, the Golden State assistant, as the Americans walked off stunned.
There was an injury scare for the Americans late in the second quarter, when LaVine got hurt on a play where he was closing out against Nnamdi. He went airborne after a head fake and came down awkwardly, grabbing at his left ankle before getting up and going directly to the US locker room.
LaVine was fine and returned in the third quarter.
The bigger scare was the scoreboard. Nigeria trailed only 43-41 at the half, led for long stretches of the opening 20 minutes, and simply weren’t going away.
The US are looking to rebound from a seventh-place finish at the 2019 Fiba World Cup, their worst ever finish at an international tournament.
The Americans’ previous closest game against an African opponent came at the inaugural Fiba world championship in 1950, when the US narrowly won 34-32 over Egypt.
No African team has ever reached the Olympic quarter-finals.
The United States return to action on Monday when they face Australia in the second of five pre-Olympics exhibitions.
Basketball has become an completely international game where all players are coached by the same coaches, and teams now train in exactly the same way and run identical plays. So there are no easy international games anymore.
The fact that in the NBA, an international Allstar team would severely challenge, if not beat an American Allstar team in a 7 game series says it all.
Nigeria men’s basketball stuns United States, making 20 3s in exhibition win
The Nigeria men’s basketball team made 20 3-pointers and stunned the United States 90-87 on Saturday in a pre-Olympic exhibition game in Las Vegas.
“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo agreed with Popovich, saying Nigeria had come a long way with their basketball program.
Nine years after losing to the U.S. by 83 points at the 2012 Olympics, Nigeria never trailed in the fourth quarter. Coached by Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown and featuring eight players with NBA experience, Nigeria made 20 of 42 3s, including six from Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat), who led the team with 21 points (6 of 8 on 3-pointers). Caleb Agada added 17 points, hitting 3 of 3 from 3-point range.
“Mike’s done a great job with us so far,” Vincent said. “We’ve had a great camp so far. We had to build a new culture, start from the ground up, new plays, new everything. We’ve got a lot of new guys in.
“It’s different when you’re playing for a country. Right now we’re representing the continent. It means the world to us and I hope we showed it here tonight.”
Team USA fell to 54-3 in exhibition games since 1992. The U.S. won the last meeting between the teams, a 2016 exhibition, 110-66.
“That’s a talented group of players. It’s not a bunch of people off the street playing basketball,” Popovich said. “Every year, teams are better and better, and every year, one or two or three more NBA players are on their teams, so they’re a quality team.”
Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) led the U.S. with 17 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) added 15 and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) had 14. Nigeria outrebounded the U.S. 46-34.
“It’s just all the work we put in,” Vincent said. “It’s no mistake what happened here tonight.
“We knew what it was. We’ve all seen them play at the highest level and make huge shots. We knew what came with that and we just had to make plays.”
Team USA has another exhibition Monday against Australia. The U.S. plays its first Olympic game on Sunday, July 25 against France. The team will compete in a total of three group play matches before the knockout stage begins on Aug. 2.
Roster members from the Phoenix Suns (Devin Booker) and Milwaukee Bucks (Jrue Holiday) won’t join the team until the conclusion of the NBA Finals, with the latest game set for July 22 if the series goes seven games.
Putting the loss in perspective
Joe Vardon, NBA senior writer: This is the worst lost in the history of American international basketball, dating to at least 1992 when NBA players were allowed to play in the Olympics. There is no other way to describe it. Yes, the loss doesn’t count toward Team USA’s medal hopes, but a group with Durant and Lillard just lost to a country with two Olympic basketball wins … in its history.
How did Nigeria do this?
Vardon: Threes. Lots and lots of 3s. Twenty, to be exact. I also thought the Americans, who are supposed to overpower opponents with their offense, looked stagnant and reverted to isolation shots that are harder to complete in international play, where physicality is encouraged. But yeah, six 3s by Vincent and 17 points by Caleb Agada … stunner.
What changes does the U.S. need to make heading into Olympics?
Vardon: Well, Durant can’t go 4 of 13, I guess. And Beal was 1 of 7 from the field. But if we are going to lament a couple tough shooting nights for Team USA against the Nigerians … there are bigger problems.
Nigeria shocks USA in pre-Olympic opener
Nigeria makes twice as many 3-pointers as Team USA and keeps superstars like Kevin Durant in check.
Nigeria celebrates after its 90-87 upset of the heavily-favored USA Saturday in Las Vegas.
This is not how USA Basketball expected to open its Olympic summer.
Nigeria probably didn’t expect it, either.
If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it’s already gone — after Nigeria shocked the U.S. 90-87 on Saturday night.
Nigeria pulled off an international shocker with a roster primarily filled of little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.
Gabe Vincent pours in game-high 21 points for Nigeria against Team USA.
“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat, led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17 points, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 60-30 from 3-point range.
Kevin Durant, who had never before played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 senior international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15, Damian Lillard had 14 and Bam Adebayo 11.
“Just goes to show that we have to play better,” Tatum said.
The Americans had gone 39-0 in their last three Olympic seasons — including pre-Olympic exhibitions — on their way to gold medals and had been 54-2 in major exhibitions since NBA players began playing for USA Basketball in 1992. Plus, they’d beaten Nigeria by a combined 127 points in their last two meetings, one at the 2012 London Games, the other a warm-up for the 2016 Rio Games.
Nigeria lost to the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics by 83 points. Lost to the Americans again four years later in an exhibition, that time by 44 points.
Not this time.
“Nigeria’s come a long way with their basketball,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.
Ike Iroegbu — a former Washington State player who some time in the G League — hit a 3-pointer with about 1:15 left to put Nigeria up 88-80. Durant scored the next seven points for the U.S.; a 3-pointer, two free throws following a turnover, then two more from the line with 16.5 seconds remaining.
Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore Nigeria’s 3-point edge. The Americans ran 9.7 seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession without getting a shot off, and Zach LaVine missed a pair of free throws — the second intentionally — with 3.5 seconds left.
Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it. It’s only an exhibition — but the upset was still of the massive variety, the 22nd-ranked nation by FIBA beating the No. 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.
Popovich heard the final buzzer and shook hands with Nigeria coach Mike Brown, the Golden State assistant, as the Americans walked off stunned.
There was an injury scare for the Americans late in the second quarter, when LaVine got hurt on a play where he was closing out against Nnamdi. He went airborne after a head fake and came down awkwardly, grabbing at his left ankle before getting up and going directly to the U.S. locker room.
LaVine was fine and returned in the third quarter.
The bigger scare was the scoreboard. Nigeria trailed only 43-41 at the half, led for long stretches of the opening 20 minutes, and simply wasn’t going away.
Nigeria men’s basketball stuns United States, making 20 3s in exhibition win
The Nigeria men’s basketball team made 20 3-pointers and stunned the United States 90-87 on Saturday in a pre-Olympic exhibition game in Las Vegas.
“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo agreed with Popovich, saying Nigeria had come a long way with their basketball program.
Nine years after losing to the U.S. by 83 points at the 2012 Olympics, Nigeria never trailed in the fourth quarter. Coached by Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown and featuring eight players with NBA experience, Nigeria made 20 of 42 3s, including six from Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat), who led the team with 21 points (6 of 8 on 3-pointers). Caleb Agada added 17 points, hitting 3 of 3 from 3-point range.
“Mike’s done a great job with us so far,” Vincent said. “We’ve had a great camp so far. We had to build a new culture, start from the ground up, new plays, new everything. We’ve got a lot of new guys in.
“It’s different when you’re playing for a country. Right now we’re representing the continent. It means the world to us and I hope we showed it here tonight.”
Team USA fell to 54-3 in exhibition games since 1992. The U.S. won the last meeting between the teams, a 2016 exhibition, 110-66.
“That’s a talented group of players. It’s not a bunch of people off the street playing basketball,” Popovich said. “Every year, teams are better and better, and every year, one or two or three more NBA players are on their teams, so they’re a quality team.”
Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) led the U.S. with 17 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) added 15 and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) had 14. Nigeria outrebounded the U.S. 46-34.
“It’s just all the work we put in,” Vincent said. “It’s no mistake what happened here tonight.
“We knew what it was. We’ve all seen them play at the highest level and make huge shots. We knew what came with that and we just had to make plays.”
Team USA has another exhibition Monday against Australia. The U.S. plays its first Olympic game on Sunday, July 25 against France. The team will compete in a total of three group play matches before the knockout stage begins on Aug. 2.
Roster members from the Phoenix Suns (Devin Booker) and Milwaukee Bucks (Jrue Holiday) won’t join the team until the conclusion of the NBA Finals, with the latest game set for July 22 if the series goes seven games.
Putting the loss in perspective
Joe Vardon, NBA senior writer: This is the worst lost in the history of American international basketball, dating to at least 1992 when NBA players were allowed to play in the Olympics. There is no other way to describe it. Yes, the loss doesn’t count toward Team USA’s medal hopes, but a group with Durant and Lillard just lost to a country with two Olympic basketball wins … in its history.
How did Nigeria do this?
Vardon: Threes. Lots and lots of 3s. Twenty, to be exact. I also thought the Americans, who are supposed to overpower opponents with their offense, looked stagnant and reverted to isolation shots that are harder to complete in international play, where physicality is encouraged. But yeah, six 3s by Vincent and 17 points by Caleb Agada … stunner.
What changes does the U.S. need to make heading into Olympics?
Vardon: Well, Durant can’t go 4 of 13, I guess. And Beal was 1 of 7 from the field. But if we are going to lament a couple tough shooting nights for Team USA against the Nigerians … there are bigger problems.
