Rivers Hoopers captain Victor Koko has urged his teammates to use last season’s painful defeat as motivation as the six-time Nigerian champions begin their bid to reclaim the Nigeria Premier Basketball League title on home soil.
The KingsMen opened their 2026 Final Four campaign in Port Harcourt on Sunday, targeting a seventh league crown and a return to the Basketball Africa League.
Hoopers were denied the title last season after suffering a dramatic 74-72 defeat to Lagos Legends, now known as Maktown Flyers. For Koko, the disappointment remains fresh and has become an additional source of determination ahead of this year’s championship showdown.
“When we came second last season, nobody celebrated us. We don’t celebrate silver. What we want to hear, what we want written on those flyers on the wall, is ‘we are champions,’” Koko said.
“Every player wants to be part of that legacy. Nobody wants a repeat of what happened last time, and I believe we will not let it happen again.”
Rivers Hoopers enter the Final Four as the top seed after an impressive 6-1 record during the postseason playoffs, finishing ahead of defending champions Maktown Flyers on point differential.
Coach Ogoh Odaudu has also bolstered the squad with several notable additions as the team seeks to reclaim domestic supremacy.
Among the new arrivals are experienced Tunisian point guard Omar Abada, former Basketball Africa League Defensive Player of the Year Peter Olisemeka, forward Raphael Putney and Greek big man Nikolaos Okekuoyen.
Despite the quality within the squad, Koko believes the Hoopers must prove their credentials on the court rather than rely on their reputation.
“This team was built to win championships, to put Rivers Hoopers back on the African map,” he said. “But we aren’t going to become champions just by talking about it. We have to be champions on the court and show people who we are.”
Playing in front of their home supporters has raised expectations around the team, but Koko insists the players are prepared to embrace the pressure.
“I know it is going to be tough, but I believe in my heart that we have the strength to overcome every team that steps in front of us,” he said.
“We will come out victorious, and our fans will celebrate with us this time.”
With a seventh league title and a return to the continental stage at stake, Hoopers will hope to turn the pain of last season into the determination needed to finish this campaign as champions.
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