2025 Nigeria Men’s Premier Basketball League Final-4 ….Defending Champions Rivers Hoppers Face Lagos Legends In Titanic Final Battle
By Akeem Busari
All is set for the grand finale of the 2025 Nigeria Men’s Premier Basketball League, as the final four matches rounds up Sunday, with Nigeria Customs Basketball Club facing Gboko City Chiefs Basketball Club, in a game that trades only a bragging for both sides, in the first game of matchday 3, by 3pm.
On Saturday in the matchday two of the final-4 series ongoing in Port Harcourt, Gboko City Chiefs Basketball Club up a determined performance against Lagos Legends Basketball club, after losing their first game of the series to the defending champions Rivers Hoppers.
However, their valiant efforts was not enough to stop the more determined Lagos side who won the game 62-49.
The second game of the day pitched Rivers Hoppers against Nigeria Customs, in a game that saw the basketball stadium filled up with nonstop singing and dancing by the home fans.
Spurred on by their fans, the Kingsmen who started like a house on fire, were sooner on the back foot as the Borderlords showed their hands and pushed the Ogoh Odaudu’s boys all the ways into the fourth and final quarter of the game, where they finally crumbled 77-45 to their more experienced opponents.
With the lucrative BAL ticket up for grabs, Lagos Legends would want to repeat the defeat of Rivers Hoppers, whose unbeaten records dating back to November 2022, they broke during this year’s phase of the final-8 series in a 80-79 win, when both sides go to battle inside the electrifying atmosphere of the Basketball stadium by 5pm.
On the other hand, the Kingsmen are favourites to achieve a 3-peat title and of course, make a return to the continent for the Basketball Africa League championship where they placed third last year.
And speaking ahead of today’s final matches, Coach Ogoh Odaudu of the Hoopers, was quick to acknowledge the quality of play and the tactical discipline of the four teams participating in the ongoing final-4.
He, however, enthused confidently about the desires of his boys to retain the Nigeria Men’s Premier Basketball League title.
