Lupita Nyong’o has moved from watching basketball from the stands to investing in a Kenyan professional basketball club after revealing that she is now an investor in Nairobi City Thunder.
The Oscar-winning actress announced the move on Thursday, September 24, 2026, through an Instagram post in which she shared a short tunnel-walk video wearing Nairobi City Thunder merchandise.
Nyong’o used the moment to celebrate the club’s breakthrough on the continental stage, highlighting its qualification for the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
“Taking a tunnel walk to celebrate that I’m an investor in the @nairobicity_thunder!” Nyong’o wrote.
She added that the team had made history by becoming the first Kenyan side to qualify for the BAL.
“The Nairobi City Thunder are the first Kenyan team to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (@thebal), and I’m pumped and proud to be behind them. TWENDE!” she said.
Nyong’o did not disclose the value of her investment or the size of her stake in the club.
Her announcement came as Nairobi City Thunder prepared for the Kenyan Basketball National League (KNBL) Finals, adding a high-profile celebrity investor to a club that has recently expanded its profile beyond Kenya.
She also acknowledged the timing of the domestic competition, writing: “Big weekend ahead with the start of the KNBL Finals! Wishing everyone on and off the court a great time!!”
Nyong’o’s investment marks a significant change in her public relationship with basketball.
In January 2014, the actress attended a New York Knicks game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York.
At the time, Nyong’o described it as her first basketball game and appeared to enjoy the experience. In a post shared after the game, she wrote: “First basketball game. #knicks vs #sixers. I could get into this.”
The game took place during a major period in her career. Nyong’o had recently gained international attention for her performance in 12 Years a Slave, for which she would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
More than a decade later, her connection to the sport has taken a different direction.
Nairobi City Thunder have emerged as one of the leading teams in Kenya’s domestic basketball scene and recently secured their place in the BAL.
The qualification made them the first Kenyan team to reach the continental competition, giving the club an opportunity to compete against some of Africa’s strongest basketball sides. FIBA’s team profile lists Nairobi City Thunder among the teams competing in the 2026 Africa Champions Clubs Road to BAL competition and records their successful campaign.
Her arrival also comes as basketball continues to attract investment and infrastructure plans in Nairobi.
Plans for a proposed 10,000-seat indoor sports arena at Nairobi Railway City have also placed basketball among the sports expected to benefit from a larger purpose-built venue. The proposed facility is part of a broader sports and entertainment development in the city.
The actress announced the investment through a fashion-forward video.
In the clip, Nyong’o walked through a tunnel wearing Nairobi City Thunder merchandise, turning the announcement into a visual show of support for the team.
