Basketball
AMERICAN BASKETBALL STAR, KOBE BRYANT ADMITS; ‘WORLD HAS CAUGHT UP WITH US”
BY MIKE ROWBOTTOM
The rest of the basketball world has caught up with the United States, according to one of the game’s superstars, Kobe Bryant.
Speaking in Beijing on the eve of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, the 41-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers legend, who won Olympic gold with the United States at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, expressed no surprise at the failure of the US team to defend its title.
“It’s not a matter of the rest of the world catching up to the USA,” said Bryant, a Global Ambassador for the flagship FIBA event.
“It’s a matter of the rest of the world having been caught up for quite some time.
“It’s come to the point where we, as the USA, are going to win some, we’re going to lose some.
“And that’s just how it goes.”
The US team, seeking a third successive world title, were beaten by France in the quarter-finals, and a subsequent loss to Serbia meant their highest possible placing would be seventh – their worst ever.
The US men at least finished with a win today, securing that seventh place with an 87-74 victory over Poland. Serbia also rounded off their competition positively, earning fifth place by beating the Czech Republic 90-81.
Bryant, who was also a five-time National Basketball Association champion, continued: “There’s some great basketball being played: France, Serbia, Argentina.
“We’re going to have our challenges with the next team, whether it’s ‘Redeem Team Two’ or whatever you want to call the team.
“No matter what team it is, it’s not going to be easy.”
Bryant recalled the battle the Americans had in the 2008 Olympic Final against Spain – a 118-107 victory.
“I remember on the Redeem Team we needed a hell of a fourth quarter to beat Spain.
“That was a hell of a team we had.
“We still needed a really late push to beat Spain in that gold-medal match.”
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Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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