"Kida Has Killed Nigeria Basketball And Should Leave For Passionate Leaders To Resurrect It" - NBBF Board Member

"Kida Has Killed Nigeria Basketball And Should Leave For Passionate Leaders To Resurrect It" - NBBF Board Member By Niyi Busari Former D'Tigers player and Board Member of the outgoing Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Osita Nwachukwu, has advised the federation's Chairman Caretaker Committee, Musa Kida, to leave the dying Nigeria basketball for people filled with ideas come to its rescue. Osita, who captained Nigeria at the World University games in 1997 while reacting to the ouster of D'Tigers from the 2021 Afrobasket was not happy that the Nigeria basketball League under Kida has been in comatose for the past four years. He explained that he's upset because Uganda bundled Nigeria out of 2021 FIBA Afrobasket with half of their team filled with 50 percent of home based players. "Uganda beat D'Tigers with half of their team being home based players." Osita told BSN Sports. [caption id="attachment_52745" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Nigeria's D'Tigers[/caption] "And we don't have a league for the past four years. And despite playing against Uganda with professional players, they still beat us. That means, the domestic league that was left to take the back seat has affected our performance. If Uganda home based players can do it, then Nigerians can. "But the NBBF is not doing anything. Kida is doing nothing about the local league. He has killed Nigeria basketball and needs to leave Nigeria basketball for passionate Nigerians who are filled with ideas on how to run it successfully come and resurrect it. That's the truth. "Could you imagine going to the Olympics with eight NBA players and going to Afrobasket with none? This is because the players are frustrated. They don't want to come and play for Nigeria again." He added. He frowned at the performance of the head coach and advised him to resign and go. "Mike Brown should resign because he was able to win only two games in his last seven. He should take the the integrity part by resigning immediately." On August 30, 2015, Nigeria lifted their first-ever AfroBasket title in Rades, Tunisia. In that same tournament D'Tigers had destroyed then debutant Uganda 98-59. Fast forward to August 31, 2021, and it was a completely different ball game with the 'Silverbacks', equipped with a highly-talented squad, dominating the former African champions from start to finish, bundled Nigeria out of the FIBA Afrobasket. D'Tigers lost all their three group matches at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, won their first two group games at the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket before losing to the eventual group leaders, Cote d'Ivoire and big upset by Uganda.