BASKETBALL: Lagos Islanders Homecoming Game; The Evolution Was Televised

by Bball Naija

Friday, 29th May, 2015 was a very special day in the history of the Nigeria’s democracy and sports development.

The country witnessed its first switch of power from a ruling party to an opposition and the Lagos Islanders Basketball Organisation became the first private basketball club to have their home arena. The game tipped off at about 7.12pm on Friday. 

The club had planned to play all their home games of the season at their Landmark Village home arena.

However, having missed 3 home games (April 17, May 1, May 12) due to logistics issues, they finally made it happen on Democracy Day and I must admit, they got everything right. 

Not only did they raise the standard of basketball games in Nigeria; they also increased the popularity of the sport and gave the DSTV Premier Basketball League the much needed attention. 

And they did it all in just one night, with just one event – The Homecoming Game. In one night, they demonstrated to the corporate world that basketball is indeed a sport to be associated with. 

In my usual tradition, I invited people to watch the game with me – my boss, family and friends – and they all admitted that it was an amazing night. The arena was very conducive and the atmosphere was electrifying. At the end, people were curious about Nigerian basketball. 

Questions like - how many teams play in the league? Where do they play? Do they have arenas like this? Can we buy tickets to watch their games too? - were asked after the game.

Summary of the event;

1. Environment – People’s major concerns about watching basketball games at the National Stadium were addressed. The arena was secured with security officials visible. The arena was very clean, with air conditioning units regulating temperature and seats were comfortable. There were functional and clean restrooms for both male and female.
2. Entertainment – There were MCs, a DJ and cheerleaders. Entertainment started about an hour before the event with music and  MCs entertaining the crowd. It allowed people settle down and it prepared people for the game. The DJ and half-time performances helped in keeping people entertained when basketball activities were not going on.
3. Club merchandise – Asides from being a major source of income, club merchandise helps fans connect with the club. At the event on Friday, t-shirts and face caps were available for sale.
4. Good game – An area of concern for me has always been the scoreboard. The scoreboard at the game on Friday was big enough and visible for people at the arena. It was very easy to follow the game.Also, the players put on a show. Willy made his trademark dunk, Jason Ebie made some deep 3s and Ben Uzoh showed why he is the most talked about Islanders’ player. Oluyole Warriors’ Lloyd Edjuto and Mojuba Oyeleye gave us a 3rd quarter rally. We were all entertained.

The Lagos Islanders beat the visiting Oluyole Warriors with 33 points and if I have to make a comment about the event, I will say the organisers gave us the NBA game experience.

This is a bold step and a wakeup call for all basketball owners in Nigeria. Private clubs owners (Mark Mentors, Dodan Warriors, Dolphins Female Basketball Team) should take a cue from the Lagos Islanders.

Corporate organizations who take sport as CSR (Union Bank, First Bank) should realise that professional basketball needs to be treated as a business investment. State owned teams should be open to strategic and investments partnerships rather than only depending on government funds.

I felicitate with the owners/management of Lagos Islanders for an incredible feat and I will advise not to relent of their efforts. More work needs to be done;

1. Build a sustainable basketball culture – They have raised the bar and people have an expectation for every home game. Management should try to sustain this.
2. Your neighbourhood matters – The Landmark Centre is indeed a strategic location. The management should try to make fans out of the hundreds of people who work in banks and other corporate establishments around the arena. I expect to see banners around Water Corporate Drive, Ligali Ayorinde Rd, Ajose Adeogun Rd, etc.
3. Ride on current momentum – The homecoming game has no doubt spiked people’s interest in Nigerian basketball. The management should ride on this momentum especially from a media perspective; seek feedback from your fans and other attendees; grant interviews (printing press, radio and TV) and learn from criticism. The Lagos Islanders homecoming game marked an evolution in Nigerian basketball and yes, the evolution was televised.