The 2023 RBL season was the second season of the

Rwanda Basketball League The Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) (formerly the National Basketball League Rwanda) is the top professional basketball league in Rwanda. Its season usually runs from November to September. The winners of the NBL season qualify for the qualifier ...

under its current name, while the top-level competition has been organised by the FERWABA for a longer time. The season began on 12 January 2023 with the regular season. The playoffs began on 23 August and ended on 9 September 2023. APR won a record-extending 14th national title, following a clean sweep of defending champions REG in the finals. With their victory, APR ended a 14-year title drought. APR guard Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza was named Playoffs MVP. As champions, APR quaified directly for the

2024 BAL season The 2024 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 4, will be the 4th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season will begin in March 2024 and will finish with the playoffs and finals in the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, for a fourth conse ...

Team changes

Orion was promoted on 17 July 2022 after reaching the finals of the

Rwanda Basketball League Division 2 The Rwanda Basketball League Division 2 is the second-highest men's basketball competition in Rwanda, after the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). On 1 December 2021, the FERWABA The Rwandan Amateur Basketball Federation () is the governing body of ...

Kigali Titans The Kigali Titans are a Rwandan professional basketball team based in Kigali. The team plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest national level. History The organisation was founded in 2021 by pharmaceutical businessman Eugene ...

were also promoted as the D2 champions.

Foreign players

The following non-African players played in the RBL in the 2023 season: * Patriots BBC **

Ater Majok Ater James "AJ" Majok (born 4 July 1987) is a professional basketball player for Al Riyadi Club Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2011 NBA draft with the 58th overall pick. He represents ...

(Lebanon) ** Michael Dixon (United States) * Kigali Titans **

Will Perry William Kiah Perry (born October 11, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Kigali Titans BBC of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He is a point guard. Early life Perry played for Wake Forest High School, befor ...

(United States) ** Álvaro Calvo Masa (Spain) *APR **

Demarcus Holland Demarcus Dejuan Holland (born March 2, 1994) is an American basketball player. He played four seasons of college basketball with the Texas Longhorns. A 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall shooting guard, he was a Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection in 201 ...

(United States)

Regular season

The regular season was decreased from thirteen to twelve teams. This season, four teams are relegated to the Division 2, and the 2024 season will begin with ten teams.

Standings

Results

Playoffs

By losing the semi-finals to

APR BBC Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club, commonly known simply as APR, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. Owned and funded by the Ministry of Defence of Rwanda, the team plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). It has won seve ...

, the Patriots did not reach the finals for the first time in 9 years. APR won finals in a clean sweep, defeating the defending champions

REG BBC Rwanda Energy Group BBC, commonly known as REG, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. It is owned and named after the company Rwanda Energy Group Limited. It plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest tier of basketball in R ...

in four games. This was the league’s first-ever sweep since introducing the best-of-seven format. In the third place series, the Patriots forfeited Game 1 after not showing up, which resulted in a victory for Espoir BBC.

Semifinals

(1) REG vs. (4) Espoir

(2) Patriots vs. (3) APR

Third place game

Finals

Awards and statistics

Season awards

The winners of the annual awards were announced after the last game of the finals, on 9 September. * Season MVP: Olivier Turatsinze,

Espoir Espoir, a French word meaning "hope", may refer to: *'' Man's Hope'' (French: ''L'Espoir''), a 1937 novel by André Malraux *'' Espoir: Sierra de Teruel'', a 1938–1939 French film, released in 1945, based on Malraux's novel * ''L'Espoir'' (album ...

* Top Scorer: Olivier Turatsinze,

* Playoffs Most Valuable Player: Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, APR * Coach of the Year:

Maz Trakh Mazen "Maz" Trakh (born July 3, 1962) is a Jordanian-American professional basketball coach. He has coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Continental Basketball Association (CBA), American Basketball Association (ABA) and overseas. ...

, APR * Top Scorer: Olivier Turatsinze, Espoir * Best 3pt Shooter: Nshimiyimana Yoronimu, IPRC Kigali * Best Defender: Frank Kamndoh, United Generations Basketball

Individual statistical leaders

''After the regular season.''

References

Basketball in Rwanda {{2022–23 in African men's basketball Rwanda Basketball League seasons RBL