League chairman promises expansion as basketball season kicks off Friday

Published: March 13, 2026

PAYNESVILLE —  James Emmanuel Porter, the chairman of the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) League Board, says the 2026 season will be more competitive and rewarding as the national league resumes Friday at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Gymnasium.

Potter, speaking during the league’s Media Day recently, said that champions in each division will receive larger cash prizes compared with last season. 

The boost, he said, comes as a result of the government’s approval of $98,000 for basketball in the 2026 national budget.

“We will be submitting our papers to the Ministry of Youth and Sports this coming week as we prepare to receive $50,000 as part of our $97,000 budget allocation,” Porter said.

Porter also disclosed that the funding will support improvements at the SKD Gymnasium, including the installation of two new rims, a modern scoreboard, and renovations to enhance the playing environment for athletes and fans.

Basketball’s popularity has grown steadily across Liberia, with the LBA serving as the country’s top platform for developing local talent. 

A former player now an administrator, Potter believes stronger government support, improved infrastructure and heightened competition will help raise the sport’s national profile.

The 2026 season opens Friday evening with teams from the first, second, third, and women’s divisions competing for championships.

Defending first-division champion LPRC Oilers will begin its title defense against the Knight Reapers, a newly promoted team from the second division.

The Oilers won the 2025 championship after rivals NPA Pythons failed to show for Game 4 of the best-of-five finals, handing the Oilers the series by default.

Opening day will feature a full slate of games. In the women’s division, D-Rockas will face G-Highlanders in the early matchup. In the second division, Paynesville Bulldogs will take on Phoenix Knights before the Oilers and Reapers headline the evening in the first division.

The 2026 campaign will feature competition across all four divisions as teams aim to dethrone reigning champions and claim the increased prize money. Officials expect strong fan turnout at the SKD Gymnasium as the new season gets underway.