Kenya Ports Authority blew an almost 12-point lead, as Nairobi City Thunder staged a remarkable comeback on Friday night to win game three and they were crowned 2026 Kenya National Basketball men’s champions for the third straight season unbeaten.
KPA will definitely have a season to forget as their spirited fight leaves them with wounds that will take time to heal after being swept 3-0 in a best-of-five series they really had a touch on.
Their fate to break Thunder was eventually seen when they were at home in Games One and Two at Makande Gymnasium, only for Thunder’s big-stage experience to teach them a lesson.
In Game One, the Dockers were just six seconds away from claiming the win, only for Eugene Adera to hit a three-pointer that sent the game into overtime. Thunder then managed to win it 76-67.
Game 2 at the same venue followed almost the same script. KPA showed the same fight, especially with a second-half comeback, but once again they let what looked like an inevitable win slip away, with Thunder coming late to win it 72-63.
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Then came Game 3 at Kasarani Indoor Arena on Friday October 2.
Thunder on the paper looked like they would have it easy at home in Nairobi, but instead they were met by a huge shock as the game proved even tighter than the previous two.
The atmosphere inside Kasarani was equally vibrant, with fans from both sides bringing the energy.
In fact, the KPA supporters were arguably more active than the home fans as they pushed their side from the stands.
But once again, the Dockers fought hard only for Thunder to have the final say, edging them 74-70 to be crowned 2026 champions.
The Game Three match was delayed by around 10 minutes, but once play got underway, Thunder quickly went in front 8-4 after two minutes.
The tide, however, shifted. Thunder started missing layups and free throws, and the Robert Mugabe charges were more than willing to punish them for it.
The Dockers took control of the opening quarter, winning it 27-18 after at one point opening up a lead of almost 12 points.
The second quarter did not produce much for either side as both teams missed a couple of chances.
Thunder, though, began to find their way back into the contest, narrowing the gap to six points at halftime after taking the second quarter 11-8.
Then came the third quarter, and Thunder came out of halftime like a different beast. They slowly clawed their way back and narrowly took the quarter 24-13, setting up what would become a thrilling final quarter.
Six minutes into the fourth quarter, both sides were tied at 62 points apiece, with just over three minutes left to play.
And then the game became a shootout. With only 80 seconds remaining, KPA took the lead after Salim Kisilu dropped a three-pointer.
From there, the two sides went back and forth, with the Dockers still holding a 70-69 advantage with just 60 seconds on the clock.
KPA were so close. But they blinked at the worst possible moment.
Adera stepped up again, scoring two points to give NCT a 71-70 lead with less than 30 seconds remaining.
KPA then drew two fouls that punished them, and Den Kong kept his cool from the line, sinking two free throws to seal the win and hand Thunder the championship.
For KPA, it was another case of being so close yet walking away empty-handed.
For Thunder, it was another chapter in what has now become a remarkable run. With their unbeaten streak now stretching to 90 games across three consecutive seasons, Brad Ibs’ men have won the league in 2024, 2025 and 2026 consecutively.
They now join KPA, Ulinzi Warriors, KCB Lions and Co-op Bank among the teams that have won the league at least three times in a row.
But for Thunder, this is even more historic. They have done it while remaining unbeaten for three straight seasons.
Thunder will now turn their attention to representing the nation in the Basketball Africa League Elite 16 in November, where they will play host as they chase a third consecutive appearance in the BAL group stage.
After being eliminated in the group stage in each of the previous two seasons, Thunder will be looking to go further this time and, perhaps, finally make a deeper run towards the finals.