Hollywood star backs Kenyan basketball
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o has announced her investment in Nairobi City Thunder. The team is the first Kenyan club to play in the Basketball Africa League, a tournament backed by the NBA and FIBA.
Nyong'o shared the news on Instagram on Thursday. She expressed her excitement about supporting the team as they prepare for the national finals.
"Taking a tunnel walk to celebrate that I'm an investor in the Nairobi City Thunder!" Nyong'o wrote. She added that she is proud to back the first Kenyan team to qualify for the Basketball Africa League and wished them luck.
Nyong'o is a citizen of Kenya, Mexico and the United States. She is the daughter of Kisumu County Governor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o and Dorothy Nyong'o, the managing trustee of the Africa Cancer Foundation. After winning an Oscar for her role in 12 Years a Slave, she starred in films such as Black Panther, Us and The Odyssey.
The history of Nairobi City Thunder
The team was originally founded in 1998 under the name NSSF Stars. It was later known as International Christian Church before changing its name to Nairobi City Thunder in 2010.
The club entered a successful new era after being acquired by Twende Sports Limited in 2023. Twende Sports was founded by Colin Rasmussen, Sandra Kimokoti, Kush Diriye and Stephen Domingo.
Following this acquisition, the team made history in 2025 by becoming the first Kenyan club to play in the Basketball Africa League. They repeated this achievement by playing in the sixth edition of the tournament this year.
National finals and league changes
Nairobi City Thunder is now preparing for the national finals this weekend. They will face Kenya Ports Authority in the finals for the third year in a row. Nairobi City Thunder comfortably won the previous two matchups against them.
Beyond the local finals, the Basketball Africa League is planning major changes for the future. The league will transition to a franchise model starting in 2027.
This change will offer permanent slots in the league. There will also be limited availability for non franchise teams that want to qualify.
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