Tomide Akinsiku will continue with Leicester Riders’ Super League Basketball squad for the 2026/27 season, giving the British forward a bigger opportunity after his breakthrough campaign.
The Riders confirmed Akinsiku will remain available for Loughborough Riders while taking on a more permanent role with Leicester’s first-team SLB group.
Akinsiku joined the club last year as part of the Loughborough Riders British Championship Basketball squad before being called up to the senior team in the second half of the 2025/26 season.
Leicester say he quickly became a favourite with the Mattioli Arena crowd thanks to his athleticism, energy and two-way impact. The club highlighted his rim protection, quickness, strength and ability to contribute beyond the box score.
Head coach Rob Paternostro described Akinsiku as “an exciting young player” and said the Riders were thrilled to keep him within the club set-up.
For British basketball, the move is another useful pathway story. Akinsiku’s progression from the Loughborough programme into regular SLB involvement shows how the Riders can bridge development minutes with senior professional opportunities.
Akinsiku said he is excited to keep learning from the first-team group and develop his game further as Leicester build towards the new season.
Sources / notes
- Leicester Riders official announcement.
- Featured image sourced from the Leicester Riders announcement. Explicit reuse licence was not found; used as editorial source imagery after Minty requested publication.