D’Tigers’ new Head Coach, David Fizdale’s dream is to qualify the senior men’s basketball team for the 2028 Olympic Games, billed to hold in his home town, Los Angeles.

Fizdale, who said that he rejected several offers from other teams to pick the D’Tigers job, said the team has great potential that can be turned into success, given the necessary support.

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) last week named the former NBA head coach as the D’Tigers’ new manager ahead of the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Angola.

Fizdale told ESPN that D’Tigers’ former coach, Mike Brown, played a role in convincing him to accept the job, adding that the process of rebuilding the team has already begun.

The long and challenging process for Olympic qualification for D’Tigers begins with participation in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers from July 2 to 5 in Luanda, Angola. Nigeria is scheduled to play against Angola, Guinea, Tunisia and Rwanda.

Fizdale said Nigeria will have a training camp in Luanda before the competition.

If Nigeria qualifies for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar or the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a potential roster, the ESPN said, could include NBA players such as Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane, Knicks guard OG Anunoby, Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu and guard Gabe Vincent, Charlotte Hornets centre Mark Williams, Denver Nuggets centre Zeke Nnaji, Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa, Houston Rockets forward Josh Okogie, Philadelphia 76ers centre Adem Bona and Chicago Bulls forward Isaac Okoro.

Stanford star freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, a 2026 NBA draft candidate, and former NBA players Jahlil Okafor, Chuma Okeke and Chima Moneke could also be candidates.

Fizdale has never been to Nigeria or Angola, but has visited African countries like Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. His ultimate dream is to coach Nigeria in his hometown of Los Angeles, where he starred at Fremont High School. The 1984 L.A. Olympics took place when Fizdale was 10 years old, but he didn’t have the means to attend the events at the time.

“The reality of it is if I do get this team qualified for the Olympics, it will be in my hometown,” Fizdale said. “It would be a full circle for me. You’re talking about a basketball checklist. That would definitely be on my bucket list for me to not only coach in the Olympics, but to coach in the Olympics in front of my family in the place I grew up…. That was an easy decision.

“I didn’t go to the Olympics in 1984, but I told people where to park in my buddy’s yard. My homeboy lived by the (Los Angeles Memorial) Coliseum, so we used his front yard to park cars and make money because parking was crazy. We were the poor kids watching on TV, but that Olympics had a huge impact on all of us.”