D’Tigers head coach David Fizdale says he and his coaching staff are working without payment for Nigeria, choosing instead to direct available funding into the growth of the country’s basketball programme.
Fizdale puts development ahead of fees
The former NBA head coach, who took charge in May 2026, views his role as more than a short-term effort to improve results. His priority is to create a foundation that can deliver sustained success for Nigerian basketball.
Fizdale said he would prefer money to be used for player development, match-winning efforts and upgraded facilities rather than covering the salaries of his coaching team.
NBA experience and Olympic ambition
Fizdale brings a substantial background from the NBA. He previously led the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks, while also holding assistant coaching positions with several prominent NBA organisations.
One of his principal objectives is to take Nigeria back to the Olympic stage at Los Angeles 2028. However, he regards qualification as only one element of a broader project.
- Create clearer development routes for promising Nigerian players.
- Raise the standard of coaching across the programme.
- Build stronger systems for identifying and preparing future talent.
Fizdale said his ambition was to establish a lasting structure through which young Nigerian players could develop into senior national-team members in the years ahead.
Restoring Nigeria’s standing
Nigeria appeared at three successive Olympic tournaments in 2012, 2016 and 2020, but failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games.
That leaves Fizdale with two connected tasks:
- Return D’Tigers to the group of Africa’s leading national teams.
- Put systems in place that can preserve and extend that progress after his time in charge ends.
His decision to waive a coaching fee reflects his desire for the programme’s resources to be concentrated on those long-term aims.
