Lagos Islanders Set Up Clash With Hoopers As’ Crown Elite Basketball Championship Sets New Standards

• Crown Elite basketball championship has continued to excite Lagosians who are witnessing the 5-day tourney
• Fans continue to troop into the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium for the basketball competition
• Lagos Islanders have now set up a mouthwatering semifinal clash with Rivers Hooper’s Basketball Club

The city of Lagos is agog with activities at the ongoing Crown Elite Basketball Championship which has reached its penultimate day as Lagos Islanders square up against Rivers Hooper’s Basketball Club, Sunnews reports.

Lagos Islanders were not impressive in their opening game having lost 41-53 to Ebun Comets, but they produced impressive back-to-back wins defeating Unilag 60-55 and then Kwara Falcons 52-48.

Head coach of Islanders Oluseyi Ayodele thanked the organisers for dipping their hands in the pocket in sustaining the basketball team.

He said.

“Opportunities like the ongoing championship is a blessed one, we are thankful to the organisers for dipping their hands into their pockets and running a competition,”

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In his reaction, a director of Crown Elite Basketball Championship, Hanson Oguche, disclosed that the funds for the event were put together by former Nigerian basketball stars.

Oguche told Sports Brief:

“Currently it has a non-profit arm which was brought about by ex-Nigerian international basketball players and I am among the directors including Edem Ekpeyong, and a host of others.

“We have all come together to put something together to be able to put something together to give back to the society.”

He said that although the challenges were herculean, but they have come out to keep basketball alive in the country.

D’Tigers reply Stephen Smith

Meanwhile, Sports Brief earlier reported that D'Tigers have individually responded to ESPN reporter Stephen Smith after disrespectfully making rants about their names.

The Nigerian basketball team pull out a major upset by defeating the United States team which had all NBA superstars in their line-up in a warm-up game to Olympics in Tokyo.

ESPN's Smith was one of the critics who reacted negatively to the result. The 53-year-old rubbished the names of Nigerian players while conducting an interview and posted it on social media.