Team Nigeria stunned Team USA last night in a pre-Olympic exhibition game. Three Miami Heat players earned their first international wins, and none were named Bam Adebayo.
Gabe Vincent, Precious Achiuwa, and KZ Okpala were selected to be a part of the Nigeria Olympics team this summer. All three of them contributed to Nigeria completing the big-time upset over Team USA.
Vincent, in particular, played extremely well. He led all scorers with 21 points and knocked down a game-high six three-pointers on the night. Nigeria outscored Team USA by 30 points on threes1
The Miami Heat guard spoke about why he chooses to wear the name “Nnamdi” on the back of his Team Nigeria jersey. His full response on that can be found in the video below:
Gabe Vincent on why Nnamdi is on his jersey: I use that name when representing Nigeria...that's very much part of my culture. That' how my people back home recognize me. pic.twitter.com/xdcNZWfjfE
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) July 11, 2021
Kenneth Wilson discussed all three Heat members’ performances in an article last night. However, it’s also important to note how significant this win was for not only the Heat but for the sport of basketball in Africa as a whole.
Earlier this year, the NBA announced the formation of NBA Africa. With investors such as Grant Hill and Dikembe Mutombo, the venture “will oversee all league business on the continent, including the Basketball Africa League,” according to the NBA’s official website.
This formation should help shed light on the amazing talent pool all over the continent. In addition, the NBA says the main goals of NBA Africa are to “grow the BAL and to launch additional NBA academies in Africa.”
Nigeria’s win over the United States should help bring international attention to the basketball scene in not only the country but the entire continent. It already has gotten the attention of millions of viewers who tuned into the game.
While it was only an exhibition game, the win means so much more. Team USA is often looked at as an unbeatable force, but last night that was anything but the case.
The victory occurred just nine years after the United States destroyed Nigeria 156-73 in the 2012 Olympics. It marked the biggest margin of victory in the history of Olympic men’s basketball.
According to NBC Sports, “an African nation has never made the Olympic men’s basketball quarterfinals.” This could be the beginning of a landmark summer for basketball in Africa.
Not only that, but this year’s Nigeria squad has the opportunity to make history in another way as well. NBC Sports noted that it “could field the largest contingent of NBA players on a single Olympic roster for any non-American nation in history.”
Nigeria’s emphatic win marks the beginning of what could be a historical summer. Miami Heat fans should consider themselves lucky that they get to watch some of their favorite team’s players in the process.