All Is Not Lost In Naija Basketball.

[Player]

Guys, like many in here, I was really mad yesterday, the manner we lost was just depressing, basketball analyst in here have spoken so much about how our guard position is weak defensively, and I think Coach K must have read our notes, because they exploited us like no mans business, I mean the guys were not closing out, and the US just spread the floor and just annihilated us from outside the arc...The reason why I am even more upset is that we have already spoken about this prom#blem from Venezuela, and it seems like it just kept getting worse....Only positive is that Ike Diogu showed his class, everyone else just dissapointed me....I just hope that someody on the nigerian board is taking notes and putting plans in place to rectify this issue, better structure and foundation leads to a better performance. For those saying that we needed better players, yes we do, but you can only play with those that accepted the call. I am still proud of my team and proud to be Nigeria. This is a big learning process, and no better team to teach it to us than the USA...

On other notes, because of this defeta, a lot of basketball guys of Naija origin that play in College, Europe and NBA that are better than what we have now, are willing to answer the call to help Naija out in future...I hope the board is taking notes.

[Mr. Piffington]

I hope the board is taking notes that we need to also groom young players back home and get more kids interesting in playing the sport. We need to improve our league and make it more competitive, that's the only thing I'm interested in. Calling up foreign born Naija players is not for the future at all.

[Player]

I hope the board is taking notes that we need to also groom young players back home and get more kids interesting in playing the sport. We need to improve our league and make it more competitive, that's the only thing I'm interested in. Calling up foreign born Naija players is not for the future at all.

Dude you need to realise that Nigeria is bigger than just the people living in Nigeria. We also have a lot of Naija kids that have made the move from Naija to high school and College basketball. In regards to the "foregin" kids that you are talking about, most of them actually want to play for Naija and who are we to deny them that oppurtunity if they are good enough, they have as much right to play for Nigeria the same way folks in nigeria do, didnt Hakeem Olajuwon play for the USA.....and we have more cominng through for the future. I see your point about our league though, needs to be developed badly.

[Mr. Piffington]

I hope the board is taking notes that we need to also groom young players back home and get more kids interesting in playing the sport. We need to improve our league and make it more competitive, that's the only thing I'm interested in. Calling up foreign born Naija players is not for the future at all.

Dude you need to realise that Nigeria is bigger than just the people living in Nigeria. We also have a lot of Naija kids that have made the move from Naija to high school and College basketball. In regards to the "foregin" kids that you are talking about, most of them actually want to play for Naija and who are we to deny them that oppurtunity if they are good enough, they have as much right to play for Nigeria the same way folks in nigeria do, didnt Hakeem Olajuwon play for the USA.....and we have more cominng through for the future. I see your point about our league though, needs to be developed badly.

I don't mind any of all that, my problem is when people start relying on kids who were trained abroad. Believe it or not but not all of them want to play for Nigeria or will eventually play for Naija if they are good enough for the US to offer to recruit them. We have so many damn people in Naija yet we want to rely on the few that go abroad and achieve semi success. This is the reason why we'll continue to be a laughing stock.

Nigeria needs to make it's league the best in Africa, start up real summer basketball camps not these fly by night charity stuff and get kids interested in playing the sport, make it very competitive. Even if we have to hire foreign experts or Foreign born Naija current/ex b-ball players to coach these kids. Constantly relying on second rate stars to go to the olympics to get embarrassed is not the business, the first few times is ok but after a while it's just a time wasting exercise.

[Player]

No one is relying on kids that were trained abroad, it just so happen that we have that option and they are the best we have have, At the end of the day, majority of our Footballers go to Europe at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, will you disregard them for the ones that play at home,as long as you are qualified to play for Nigeria, I dont see what the problem is. You still have not said anything about Hakeem playing for the USA even though he was born and bred in Lagos.

You talking about Summer Camps simply tells me that you dont know enough about Naija basketball, you are just saying whatever sounds good that comes to your mind, you also have no clue about the talent that have made through form these camps. I still agree with you that our league needs major re-structuring right now.

[Mr. Piffington]

No one is relying on kids that were trained abroad, it just so happen that we have that option and they are the best we have have, At the end of the day, majority of our Footballers go to Europe at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, will you disregard them for the ones that play at home,as long as you are qualified to play for Nigeria, I dont see what the problem is. You still have not said anything about Hakeem playing for the USA even though he was born and bred in Lagos.

You talking about Summer Camps simply tells me that you dont know enough about Naija basketball, you are just saying whatever sounds good that comes to your mind, you also have no clue about the talent that have made through form these camps. I still agree with you that our league needs major re-structuring right now.

Boss, I'm not against bringing in kids that were born or trained abroad I'm simply in favor of taking the long term approach of developing our own elite athletes at home and with the talent we have abroad it will simply widen our pool of talent to pick from. You can say all you want about the basketball camps in Naija, they might be getting better but I'm sorry they need to try harder.

As for football, the reasons why these kids go abroad is because someone is making money selling these kids and/or Nigerian authorities have ZERO vision. When I read things like how Brazil are trying to keep a young player like Neymar I have hope for the world that there are people who aren't brainwashed into believing that Europe/America is the beginning and end of the world.

Naija claims to have 160 million people and you mean to tell me all we can do is hope for foreign born players with Nigerian names to fill our roster year in year out? Giant of Africa indeed.

[sabb]

for us in this forum all is not lost but is all lost for those who can push the agenda forward.
how are the committee back home taking this loss, are they gonna do anything about it or just wait for the next 4 years again to do something
with all that is happening in footie which is our major sport at the mo, i really don't know how they are gonna take bball seriously and start pumping money into it but lets hope they do sha.

Kudos to the bois for standing up and taking it like men but it is improvement and learning that counts and I haven't seen any learning so far. We have repeated the same mistakes from the 4th quarter of the 1st game up till now. I still support my country no matta wot so no lele, me no shame, all na learning but na d curve matta

[Player]

No one is relying on kids that were trained abroad, it just so happen that we have that option and they are the best we have have, At the end of the day, majority of our Footballers go to Europe at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, will you disregard them for the ones that play at home,as long as you are qualified to play for Nigeria, I dont see what the problem is. You still have not said anything about Hakeem playing for the USA even though he was born and bred in Lagos.

You talking about Summer Camps simply tells me that you dont know enough about Naija basketball, you are just saying whatever sounds good that comes to your mind, you also have no clue about the talent that have made through form these camps. I still agree with you that our league needs major re-structuring right now.

Boss, I'm not against bringing in kids that were born or trained abroad I'm simply in favor of taking the long term approach of developing our own elite athletes at home and with the talent we have abroad it will simply widen our pool of talent to pick from. You can say all you want about the basketball camps in Naija, they might be getting better but I'm sorry they need to try harder.

As for football, the reasons why these kids go abroad is because someone is making money selling these kids and/or Nigerian authorities have ZERO vision. When I read things like how Brazil are trying to keep a young player like Neymar I have hope for the world that there are people who aren't brainwashed into believing that Europe/America is the beginning and end of the world.

Naija claims to have 160 million people and you mean to tell me all we can do is hope for foreign born players with Nigerian names to fill our roster year in year out? Giant of Africa indeed.

It is very easy to give suggestions on what needs to be done and how, but when we have people like you sitting abroad and throwing suggestions left right and center without trying to do something about it, then we are part of the problem as well. Setting up camps or training players is something that an individual like yourself can run in Nigeria or abroad, it not hard.

On your point about agents and not grooming our talent, I agree,

[Player]

for us in this forum all is not lost but is all lost for those who can push the agenda forward.
how are the committee back home taking this loss, are they gonna do anything about it or just wait for the next 4 years again to do something
with all that is happening in footie which is our major sport at the mo, i really don't know how they are gonna take bball seriously and start pumping money into it but lets hope they do sha.
Kudos to the bois for standing up and taking it like men but it is improvement and learning that counts and I haven't seen any learning so far. We have repeated the same mistakes from the 4th quarter of the 1st game up till now. I still support my country no matta wot so no lele, me no shame, all na learning but na d curve matta

especially on the bolded part.

[Mr. Piffington]

No one is relying on kids that were trained abroad, it just so happen that we have that option and they are the best we have have, At the end of the day, majority of our Footballers go to Europe at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, will you disregard them for the ones that play at home,as long as you are qualified to play for Nigeria, I dont see what the problem is. You still have not said anything about Hakeem playing for the USA even though he was born and bred in Lagos.

You talking about Summer Camps simply tells me that you dont know enough about Naija basketball, you are just saying whatever sounds good that comes to your mind, you also have no clue about the talent that have made through form these camps. I still agree with you that our league needs major re-structuring right now.

Boss, I'm not against bringing in kids that were born or trained abroad I'm simply in favor of taking the long term approach of developing our own elite athletes at home and with the talent we have abroad it will simply widen our pool of talent to pick from. You can say all you want about the basketball camps in Naija, they might be getting better but I'm sorry they need to try harder.

As for football, the reasons why these kids go abroad is because someone is making money selling these kids and/or Nigerian authorities have ZERO vision. When I read things like how Brazil are trying to keep a young player like Neymar I have hope for the world that there are people who aren't brainwashed into believing that Europe/America is the beginning and end of the world.

Naija claims to have 160 million people and you mean to tell me all we can do is hope for foreign born players with Nigerian names to fill our roster year in year out? Giant of Africa indeed.

It is very easy to give suggestions on what needs to be done and how, but when we have people like you sitting abroad and throwing suggestions left right and center without trying to do something about it, then we are part of the problem as well. Setting up camps or training players is something that an individual like yourself can run in Nigeria or abroad, it not hard.

On your point about agents and not grooming our talent, I agree,

[juventuss]

for us in this forum all is not lost but is all lost for those who can push the agenda forward.
how are the committee back home taking this loss, are they gonna do anything about it or just wait for the next 4 years again to do something
with all that is happening in footie which is our major sport at the mo, i really don't know how they are gonna take bball seriously and start pumping money into it but lets hope they do sha.

Kudos to the bois for standing up and taking it like men but it is improvement and learning that counts and I haven't seen any learning so far. We have repeated the same mistakes from the 4th quarter of the 1st game up till now. I still support my country no matta wot so no lele, me no shame, all na learning but na d curve matta

[okjazz]

I still support my country no matta wot so no lele, me no shame, all na learning but na d curve matta

An Africa, learning curves end up curving so much that they become circles. African teams have been learning from the west for 5 decades but we keep going round in circles. IMO things are actually getting worse in every sport except athletics.

[Man Ataye]

I hope the board is taking notes that we need to also groom young players back home and get more kids interesting in playing the sport. We need to improve our league and make it more competitive, that's the only thing I'm interested in. Calling up foreign born Naija players is not for the future at all.

supported... I think we need this balance, so kids home will not give a lack lustre, half -hearted approach/attitude since encouraging kids from ovas will make them feel inferior..we need a balance and we need common sense to know there are just as good kids home as abroad when groomed. We should take all that are willing and gifted.

[cchinukw]

False hope as with most things Naija.

Player I like your hustle and all but the preparation of our Olympic team in general cannot produce winners.

[Player]

I still support my country no matta wot so no lele, me no shame, all na learning but na d curve matta

An Africa, learning curves end up curving so much that they become circles. African teams have been learning from the west for 5 decades but we keep going round in circles. IMO things are actually getting worse in every sport except athletics.

@ cchinukw, yep you right, what are we gona do to fix it ?

[realtrouble]

No one is relying on kids that were trained abroad, it just so happen that we have that option and they are the best we have have, At the end of the day, majority of our Footballers go to Europe at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, will you disregard them for the ones that play at home,as long as you are qualified to play for Nigeria, I dont see what the problem is. You still have not said anything about Hakeem playing for the USA even though he was born and bred in Lagos.

You talking about Summer Camps simply tells me that you dont know enough about Naija basketball, you are just saying whatever sounds good that comes to your mind, you also have no clue about the talent that have made through form these camps. I still agree with you that our league needs major re-structuring right now.

Boss, I'm not against bringing in kids that were born or trained abroad I'm simply in favor of taking the long term approach of developing our own elite athletes at home and with the talent we have abroad it will simply widen our pool of talent to pick from. You can say all you want about the basketball camps in Naija, they might be getting better but I'm sorry they need to try harder.

As for football, the reasons why these kids go abroad is because someone is making money selling these kids and/or Nigerian authorities have ZERO vision. When I read things like how Brazil are trying to keep a young player like Neymar I have hope for the world that there are people who aren't brainwashed into believing that Europe/America is the beginning and end of the world.

Naija claims to have 160 million people and you mean to tell me all we can do is hope for foreign born players with Nigerian names to fill our roster year in year out? Giant of Africa indeed.

Word

When we call Nigerian the most unproductive people on earth, it's not an insult. The truth is to be successful you have to leave that hole

[Damunk]

I hope the board is taking notes that we need to also groom young players back home and get more kids interesting in playing the sport. We need to improve our league and make it more competitive, that's the only thing I'm interested in. Calling up foreign born Naija players is not for the future at all.

Come....Are you trying to ban me from the Nigerian BB team?

[soothsayer]

I still support my country no matta wot so no lele, me no shame, all na learning but na d curve matta

An Africa, learning curves end up curving so much that they become circles. African teams have been learning from the west for 5 decades but we keep going round in circles. IMO things are actually getting worse in every sport except athletics.

@ cchinukw, yep you right, what are we gona do to fix it ?

well technically it is getting worse in athletics , we now rely on athletes raised in the unites states now... most of these girls seemed to be raised and running in the united states..