Nigeria’s ambition to assemble a formidable basketball squad ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics has received a major boost after four National Basketball Association players reportedly expressed their willingness to represent D’Tigers following the appointment of David Fizdale as head coach, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Fizdale, a former NBA head coach with the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks, recently worked as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns between 2023 and 2025 before taking charge of Nigeria’s men’s national team.
Basketball journalist and scout Coach Hova revealed that Aaron Nesmith has already committed to representing Nigeria in the next international basketball window.
Confirming the development, he wrote on X, “Sources close to me have confirmed that Aaron Nesmith has committed to representing the D’Tigers in the upcoming international basketball window.”
The Indiana Pacers forward was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft before joining Indiana in 2022.
Hova also disclosed that Desmond Bane had begun processing his international switch to Nigeria ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
“Desmond Bane is committed and already processing his switch to represent D’Tigers ahead of the 2028 Olympics,” he stated.
According to the Hova, Bane has also been instrumental in encouraging other Nigerian-heritage NBA players to join the national team project, including Nesmith.
Earlier this year, Bane himself publicly declared his interest in representing Nigeria during a BBC interview in January 2026.
The Orlando Magic guard explained that he wanted to help gather top Nigerian-eligible players for a serious Olympic challenge.
“We just need to get all the Nigerians together for the Olympics coming up in the next couple years and make something happen,” Bane said.
He also admitted that he had already spoken with other players about joining D’Tigers.
“I’d talk to Aaron Nesmith,” he said.
“Me and Gabe Vincent also talked about it a little bit. We need to do it.”
Meanwhile, journalist Kehinde Bamidele further reported that Onyeka Okongwu remains interested in representing Nigeria under Fizdale.
According to him, “Okongwu remains interested in representing D’Tigers of Nigeria under new head coach David Fizdale.”
The Atlanta Hawks centre previously missed out on a potential invitation due to short notice, but talks are said to be ongoing ahead of the July international window.
Bamidele also reported that Ayo Dosunmu has yet to make a final commitment to Nigeria, although the new coaching crew are keen to convince him.
“Ayo Dosunmu is yet to commit to D’Tigers of Nigeria,” Bamidele wrote.
“Fizdale understands that one of his early priorities will be convincing the Wolves guard to represent Nigeria.”
The guard previously represented the United States at the youth level, winning gold at the 2018 FIBA U18 Americas Championship, meaning any switch could involve additional clearance procedures.
Fizdale has already made clear that qualifying Nigeria for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics remains his biggest ambition as D’Tigers coach.
After his appointment by the Nigeria Basketball Federation on Saturday, Fizdale told ESPN that leading Nigeria to the Olympics in his hometown would represent a career-defining achievement.
Nigeria have previously featured at the Olympic Games in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 but are still chasing their first basketball medal on the global stage.
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