Port Harcourt erupted on Tuesday night as Rivers Hoopers wrote another golden chapter in Nigerian basketball history. In a pulsating Final Four decider that needed overtime, the KingsMen defeated defending champions Maktown Flyers (formerly Lagos Legends) 92-90 to capture the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) crown — their seventh national title overall and first since 2024.
The victory, sealed in front of a raucous home crowd at the Indoor Basketball Court on Niger Street, ends a one-year wait for redemption. Last season, the same Maktown Flyers side had stunned Hoopers 74-72 in the 2025 Final Four, denying them a three-peat and claiming Nigeria’s BAL ticket. This time the script flipped dramatically.
A season of purpose
After the heartbreak of 2025, Hoopers approached 2026 with clear intent. They navigated the regular season and playoffs with authority, finishing as the top seed from the Final Eight with a 6-1 record (edging Maktown Flyers on point differential). In the Final Four round-robin (September 20-22), they stayed clinical, setting up a winner-takes-all showdown against the defending champions on the final night.
Coach Ogoh Odaudu’s side showed the hunger their captain Victor Koko had spoken about in the build-up. “We don’t celebrate silver,” Koko had declared. The KingsMen answered on the court.
The final: drama until the last second
The game lived up to its billing as a rematch of the 2025 final. Both teams traded blows throughout regulation, with neither able to pull away. Hoopers’ depth and home energy kept them in contention, while Maktown Flyers relied on the same late-game resilience that had dethroned the KingsMen a year earlier.
When the buzzer sounded at the end of the fourth, the score was tied, forcing overtime. In the extra period, Hoopers found another gear. Abel Offia, later named the 2026 NPBL MVP, delivered clutch plays and leadership that proved decisive. The final score read 92-90 in favour of the home side, sparking wild celebrations across Port Harcourt.
Offia’s tournament and season numbers (18 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, strong shooting efficiency) underlined why he stood out as the standout performer in a stacked field.
Legacy and what comes next
This seventh title cements Rivers Hoopers as one of the most successful clubs in Nigerian basketball history. Their previous crowns came in 2011, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. More immediately, the win books their return to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the 2027 season, where they previously earned bronze in 2024.
For a franchise backed by the Rivers State Government and powered by passionate home support, the night represented more than a trophy. It was validation of a culture built on resilience, depth and an unwillingness to settle for second place.
As the KingsMen celebrate their latest conquest, Nigerian basketball fans already look ahead to the next challenge: representing the country on the continental stage once again. For now, though, Port Harcourt can savour the moment.
The KingsMen are champions once more.
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