2024 will be a year etched in history for Nairobi City Thunder.
From clinching the Kenya Basketball Championship, to finishing the regular season unbeaten, and ultimately becoming the first Kenyan basketball team to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
On July 20, 2024, Bradly Ibs’ side achieved a historic milestone, winning the Kenya National Championship for the first time. This victory marked a new era for the team, having recently been acquired by new ownership. It also marked Ibs’ debut season as head coach.
Play here and stand a chance of winning the over 396 Million SportPesa Mega Jackpot
Based in Shauri Moyo, the team dominated the final playoff series, sweeping the 2022/2023 champions, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 3-0 in the best-of-five series. The Thunder’s stellar performance made it clear that their success was no fluke.
In addition, Thunder’s standout players were recognized for their individual brilliance. Griffin Ligare was named the Playoffs MVP, while Albert Odero took home the Season MVP award.
Meanwhile, Bradly Ibs, who succeeded the long-serving coach Sadat Gaya, was honored with the Coach of the Year accolade.
Nairobi City Thunder dominate Road To BAL East division
As national champions, Thunder earned a spot in the prestigious Road to BAL, a journey they will undoubtedly remember as groundbreaking.
Competing for the first time in the Basketball Africa League’s qualification tournament, the team was placed in Group D of the East Division alongside JKT (Tanzania), Beau Vallon Heat (Seychelles), Urunani (Burundi), and GNBC (Madagascar).
The Thunder showed resilience, finishing second in the group with three wins out of four games, losing only to Urunani. Their consistent performance earned them a spot in the Elite 16 tournament.
ALSO READ: Road to BAL: Nairobi City Thunder dominate Kriol Stars to emerge East Division Champions
The Elite 16, which brought together eight teams from the East Division, was hosted by Kenya and ran from November 28 to December 3. Placed in Group A, Thunder faced South African champions M.B.B, Kriol Stars (Cape Verde), and Malawi’s Braveheart.
Thunder dominated the group, winning all three of their matches and advancing to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Nairobi City Thunder triumphed over City Oilers (Uganda), winning 72-62 in a highly competitive match at the Kasarani Indoor Arena, securing their place in the finals. With this victory, they had already sealed their qualification for the Basketball Africa League.
In the final, history was made as Thunder proved that their success was no accident. They crushed Kriol Stars (Cape Verde) 98-86, crowning themselves East Division Champions.
ALSO READ: Indomitable Nairobi City Thunder make history as first Kenyan team to qualify for BAL
Looking ahead, the team now turns its focus to the Basketball Africa League main tournament in 2025, which will take place across three conferences from April to June.
The Thunder are immensely grateful to their owner, Twende Sports Limited, and their coach, Bradly Ibs, for ensuring the team made crucial signings that contributed to their success.
2024 was indeed a groundbreaking year for Nairobi City Thunder, a year that will be remembered as the beginning of a new era in Kenyan basketball.
ALSO READ: Doncic triple-double leads Dallas Mavericks over Warriors in record duel