Nigeria is best known for being a football country.
In 1996 in Atlanta, the selection made history as the first African nation to win Olympic gold.
Twenty-five years later, in Tokyo, it is on the basketball courts that the country intends to achieve new feats.
The "D'Tigers" are indeed part of the underdogs of the Olympic tournament.
They have stood out in recent weeks by beating respectively in preparation match the American stars, on July 10 (90-87) then the solid team of Argentina, vice-champion of the world in title, (94-71) three days later.
Congratulations, Team Nigeria, @NigeriaBasket.
pic.twitter.com/1NLS8xCgzb
- Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) July 11, 2021
It was the United States' first defeat against an African nation.
A real slap inflicted on Kevin Durant and his teammates.
The CBS channel even described the American performance as "one of the biggest defeats in international history".
The Nigerian media, on the other hand, celebrated this feat.
"Nigeria stuns the United States", headlined the independent daily The Guardian, when The Daily trust insisted that "Nigeria is making history".
"This performance which lifts morale on the eve of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (...) indicates that the Nigeria team will climb on the podium during these Games", also enthusiastically the Nigerian Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare.
A team with American accents
In 2012, the balance of power was quite different.
The United States, led by Kobe Bryant, had atomized Nigeria by 83 points (156-73) during the London Olympics.
They had won by 44 points (110-66) in a friendly match in 2016.
How to explain this progression?
The current Nigerian team does not have much to do with the previous selections.
None of the players who flew to Japan play in their home countries.
The majority of the selected belong to the Nigerian community of the United States and many of them have made their ranges in American universities before joining the NBA.
Two thirds of the 12 players selected play there.
Milwaukee Bucks winger Jordan Nwora this week became the second Nigerian to win the North American Championship, after legendary Hakeem Olajuwon, with the Houston Rockets.
HE'S BACK!
NBA CHAMPION @JordanNwora is back with the squad.
🇳🇬🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/up2QEOwBgP
- D'Tigers |
Nigeria Basketball # Tokyo2020 (@NigeriaBasket) July 24, 2021
Author of 21 points against the United States, point guard Gabe Vincent, born in California, is in the workforce of the Miami Heat, as strong winger Precious Achiuwa.
As for pivot Jahlil Okafor, he rolled his bump from the Philadelphia Sixers to the Detroit Pistons via the Nets and the New Orleans Pelicans.
The latter ensures that his team left for Japan with the full "confidence necessary" to "achieve high level performances, as against the United States and Argentina".
He himself passed fifteen points to Argentina.
The victory against the American ogres, the Nigerians in particular built on a big physical performance under the basket, with 46 rebounds taken (against 34).
For Nigeria.
🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬
📸: @FIBA # Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/b0y1JSdkBJ
- D'Tigers |
Nigeria Basketball # Tokyo2020 (@NigeriaBasket) July 24, 2021
The team can also count on the experience of its coach, American Mike Brown, 51, Steve Kerr's current assistant at the Golden State Warriors.
"We haven't won anything yet, but I have the feeling that I can lift a whole continent," he said before leaving for Japan.
"We are not going there for the experience, we are going to Tokyo to win," said the man who led the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers he even led in the NBA finals.
American Will Voigt, who coached Nigeria when he won their first African championship in 2015, also believes in it: "I don't see why they couldn't continue their success," he said.
"They are talented, confident and self-sufficient."
Invest in the country?
But this "foreign legion" also arouses some criticism in the country. "What the team has done is a big step forward for Nigerian basketball at the international level, but it is killing us locally because we do not invest at home," laments for example the former captain of the "D'Tigers ", Olumide Oyedeji. We must give the players based in Nigeria a chance, let them play in the national team, he pleaded: "It is not a crime to be born in Nigeria, it is not a crime to play in Nigeria, it is not a crime to reside in Nigeria. "
So far, the Nigerians have never done better than 10th at the Games, during the London Olympics in 2012. Five years ago in Brazil, the "D'Tigers" had not passed the stage of the phase of groups.
Facing Australia on Sunday for their first match, they have better ambitions in a group B which promises to be very open.
They will then face Germany (28th), then Italy (31st).
With AFP
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