National U-17 Player selected to Basketball Without Borders

Jamaica’s promising under-17 talent, Marcus McDonald, has been selected to participate in the prestigious Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp, a collaboration between the NBA and FIBA. The camp, set to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from May 17 to 20, serves as a significant milestone for Jamaica’s youth basketball development, as highlighted by Paulton Gordon, the President of Jamaica’s Basketball Association.

Gordon emphasized the camp’s role in nurturing young players for progression into the senior programme, providing a platform for interaction with 60 top talents from the Americas, selected based on their performance in the CentroBasket tournament in Belize.

During the CentroBasket U17 Championships last year, McDonald, a member of the Jamaican team that placed sixth out of eight teams, showcased impressive skills by averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. Unfortunately, McDonald’s teammate Antoine Daye was unable to participate due to the Caribbean Examinations Council sitting.

The president also mentioned that McDonald’s selection for the camp highlights the growing interest in Jamaican basketball and emphasized the importance of exposing players to international opportunities for future development.

Furthermore, discussions are underway with the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association to potentially extend the high-school basketball tournament, providing more platforms for talented athletes to excel.