Rivers Hoopers, Lagos Legends Lead Charge as Final Four Emerge in NPBL Title Race

The Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight concluded on Sunday, producing a thrilling lineup for the Final Four stage. Defending champions Rivers Hoopers, Lagos Legends, last year’s semi-finalists Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs all booked their places in the next round.

Both Rivers Hoopers and Lagos Legends finished atop the standings with identical 6–1 records, while Gboko City Chiefs secured third place after recording five wins and two losses. Nigeria Customs clinched the last semifinal ticket, narrowly edging out Kano Pillars and Nile University Spartans.

The Final Four tournament is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 24, 2025, in a round-robin format where each team will play the others once. The overall winner will not only be crowned national champion but also claim the coveted Basketball Africa League (BAL) ticket.

The final day of the group stage featured several tense encounters. Gboko City Chiefs narrowly defeated Hoops and Read 63–62 in a game they once led by 20 points, with Michael Oriahki contributing a team-high 16 points.

In another high-stakes clash, Nigeria Customs sealed their Final Four spot with a hard-fought 70–64 victory over Kano Pillars, thanks to a standout 22-point performance from captain David Godwin.

Lagos Legends continued their dominant run with a commanding 93–63 win over Nile University, led by Patrick Abah, who tallied 20 points and dazzled with his athleticism and relentless drives to the rim.

The day wrapped up with Rivers Hoopers overpowering Kwara Falcons 83–69, as the defending champions maintained their pursuit of back-to-back titles while the Falcons bowed out without a win.