Rivers Hoopers star Robinson Odoch Opong will be representing no less than four countries at the Basketball Africa League, which tips off on May 16 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nigeria s Rivers Hoopers used BAL delay to strengthen roster
While Nigeria s Rivers Hoopers are still trying to navigate the sea of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, head coach Ogoh Odaudu told ESPN that the Basketball Africa League s delay was a blessing in disguise .
The BAL, an initiative by the NBA to grow the game in Africa, was originally scheduled for its debut in March 2020, but, just weeks before tip off in Senegal, the coronavirus pandemic made that impossible. Now, more than a year later, a condensed and bubbled version will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, over the last two weeks in May, starting on the 16th.
Rivers Hoopers Basketball Club have signed Ugandan International Robinson Odoch Opong as a replacement for the injured Festus Ezeli ahead of the Basketball Africa League in Kigali, Rwanda.
The inaugural BAL season was originally scheduled to take off March 13 2020 but was postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The organizers have announced it will now take place between May 16 and 30 at the Kigali Arena.
Ezeli who joined the Kingsmen last week completed the four-man transfer scoop requirement for all teams participating in the BAL, but a recent injury sustained by the 2015 NBA champion forced the Hoopers to sign Opong.