After completing another unbeaten campaign in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) league, Nairobi City Thunder head coach Bradley Ibs has turned his focus to the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL), where he hopes to rewrite the team’s continental story.
Thunder underlined their dominance by sweeping Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 3-0 in the KBF playoff finals, sealing back-to-back championships without dropping a single game all season.
Their emphatic 80-43 win in Game Three at Nyayo Gymnasium on Saturday followed earlier victories of 81-47 and 93-79, cementing their status as the undisputed kings of Kenyan basketball.
“It feels great to go undefeated again for another season,” said Ibs. “It felt very different from last season, but we are here again and enjoying every moment of it.”
The win secured Thunder’s ticket to the BAL for a second consecutive year. But after a disappointing 2025 outing in the Nile Conference, Ibs is determined to lead a stronger campaign.
“We did not really perform well at the BAL as we would have wanted to, so I think that is in our sights now—to put all our focus and determination on that,” he said.
Thunder made history last year by becoming Kenya’s first-ever BAL qualifiers, clinching the East Division Elite 16 crown at Kasarani Indoor Arena. However, their debut in Kigali, Rwanda, proved difficult.
Drawn in the Nile Conference with Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, Rwanda’s APR, and South Africa’s MBB, Thunder managed only one win in six games—an 85-76 victory over MBB—after a narrow 75-74 loss in their first meeting. Heavy defeats to Al Ahli (115-87, 104-94) and APR (92-63, 77-74) dashed their hopes of reaching the playoffs in Pretoria.
Reflecting on their domestic dominance, Ibs credited the team’s chemistry and culture.
“Having great players is the main ingredient, but at the same time, you can have great players who are disconnected and not unified,” he said. “We spend a lot of time in and out of practice cultivating an environment where guys want to play with and for one another.”
Looking ahead, Ibs is more focused on growth than chasing another unbeaten streak.
“As much as I would like to say another 30 unbeaten games next season, I think our main goal is to just keep getting better,” he concluded.
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