Nigeria defeated the basketball team in a pre-Olympic friendly match | Basketball Stories

Nigeria became the first African country to beat the US basketball team, winning 90-87.

Nigeria has taken one of the most disappointing events in world basketball history by surprising the United States at the Olympic Games in Las Vegas, 90-87.

On Saturday evening, Nigeria, with six NBA players and former NBA leader Mike Brown, became the first African country to beat the United States, playing the first of five games before the Tokyo Olympics.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t mean much in the representation we want to go to,” Brown said.

“But it is a good achievement for us. “I don’t think any African team has been able to beat USA Basketball in a show or other real sport … We are trying to strengthen Nigeria and Africa,” said Brown.

The Nigerian side defeated the US team from five Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and Bam Adebayo. The Americans did not have three players who were still in the NBA Finals.

Nigeria, who hosted 12 NBA players in their 49-man training camp in California and seven in uniform on Saturday, were led by Gabriel Nnamdi Vincent with 21 points.

“We kept the game simple,” Vincent said, “and we did very well.”

Brooklyn Nets newspaper Kevin Durant, who had never played for a national team in 39 major world games, led the Americans by 17 points.

“I’m glad it happened,” said US Secretary of State Gregg Popovich, noting that Nigerians have been studying together since the end of June when the U.S. side met just four days earlier.

Popovich said defeat should be seen as a signal and not a “end of the world”.

“I thought the Nigerian team played physically, worked well and dropped a lot of 3s,” Popovich said. “Give them respect.”

Nigeria’s victory came nine years after the US defeated Nigerians 156-73 at the London Olympics. Nigeria defeated the US four years later in the show, that time by 44 points.

“Nigerians have come a long way in their basketball,” said Jerry Colangelo, the US team’s chief executive officer.

The United States, which has won the Olympics in three basketball tournaments since its bronze medal in 2004, is hoping to regain some of its ground after finishing seventh in the 2019 FIBA ​​World Cup.

They play Australia, ranked third in the world, in a friendly match on Monday.

Nigeria had 12 NBA players in their 49 men’s training camp in California [AFP]