The Nigeria Basketball Federation has lauded the selection of eight players of Nigerian descent in the 2020 NBA Draft, saying it is a new dawn for the country’s progress in basketball.

The NBBF has said that the development comes as a good news, as they prepare ahead of next year’s Olympic Games, with the men and women’s national teams – a first in Africa – competing at the global sports showpiece.

Six of the players Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, Precious Achiuwa, Zeke Nnaji, Udoka Azubuike and Desmond Bane were selected in the first round, while Daniel Oturu and D’Tigers star Jordan Nwora were selected in the second round.

It is the first time eight players of Nigerian descent and two players born in Nigeria – Achiuwa and Azubuike- would be selected for the draft.

NBBF vice president Babs Ogunade said he was delighted at the selections because it would help boost the men’s national team at the 2020 Olympics.

“The Olympics camp is going to be very interesting,” Ogunade, a FIBA Hall of Famer, told The PUNCH on Thursday.

This is coming after the NBBF announced recently that it would need about $4m for D’Tigers and D’Tigress to compete in Tokyo.

“I raised some concerns about money (for the Olympics) recently and it’s because I had a sneak preview of this bumper (selections) and I also have an inkling of how the NBA contract includes how their players must travel and what levels of comfort must accompany them.

“We need to harness all this goodness properly, prepare our homes to welcome our basketball into a new era. We cannot afford to disappoint our nation. All hands must be on deck.”