With a robust investment from Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, the 2024 Jamaican Basketball Association Star Search Basketball and Life Skills Camp soared to new heights, attracting increased participation from young basketball enthusiasts and drawing attention from international scouts. This initiative, designed to identify and nurture emerging basketball talent, brought together hundreds of Jamaica’s youth for a memorable week-long camp, culminating last Friday at the G.C Foster College in St. Catherine.
KFC's significant contribution—JMD $2 million in cash and JMD$1 million in meal sponsorship—enabled young athletes to benefit from the expertise of seasoned coaches while exploring opportunities for scholarships to study and play overseas, potentially paving their way to professional basketball careers at the highest level.
Among the standout participants, Joel Ricketts of Wolmer’s Boys and Bri’an Barrow of Immaculate Conception High were honored with the camp’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. “It was an exciting experience,” Ricketts said. “I never expected to earn this award but I put my best foot forward and ensured I had fun at every step of the way.”
International scouts, who regularly attend the camp to identify new talent, were equally impressed. Chief Scout Mark Cooke, based in the U.S., remarked, “The level of talent here is phenomenal. These young athletes have demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. It’s been a privilege to work with them and help them reach their potential.”
KFC’s sponsorship has delivered immediate benefits to the camp participants and has also made a significant impact on the broader community. By supporting initiatives like the Star Search Basketball Programme, KFC is paving the way for young athletes to achieve their dreams and build brighter futures.
Andrei Roper, Marketing Manager at Restaurants of Jamaica, expressed his enthusiasm for the camp’s success. "We're grateful for another fantastic year of Star Search. This program is near and dear to our hearts at KFC as we are dedicated to developing Jamaica's youth and shaping them for greatness. We continue to see the amazing talent that Jamaica has to offer in basketball. We share the Jamaica Basketball Association's vision of creating well-rounded individuals who contribute both on and off the court."
Roper also highlighted the camp’s dual focus on basketball and life skills. "It's not just a basketball camp; it’s also a life skills camp. We are proud to provide campers with knowledge and resources that will benefit them during the camp, in the sport of basketball, and beyond," he added.
The Star Search camp has produced notable talent, including former Cleveland Cavaliers player Samardo Samuels and current Charlotte Hornets player Nick Richards. This legacy underscores the camp's role in shaping the future of Jamaican basketball.
Spurs head coach Popovich out indefinitely
The San Antonio Spurs will be without head coach Gregg Popovich indefinitely after he reportedly suffered a health issue prior to the team’s last game.
The 75-year-old Popovich didn’t coach the Spurs (3-3) during Saturday’s 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves due to what the team said was an undisclosed illness.
Mike Johnson took over as head coach against Minnesota and will remain in the role while Popovich is sidelined.
“He's not feeling well,” Johnson said prior to Saturday’s game. “This has happened before.
“I think everybody's just always got to be ready for the next man up. We've had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don't feel well or things come up in life.
“He's just not feeling well.”
Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,391 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.
Bickerstaff: Pistons are 'getting better at everything' after big Nets win
J.B. Bickerstaff believes the Detroit Pistons are "getting better at everything" after bouncing back to beat the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The Pistons suffered a heavy defeat to the New York Knicks on Friday but made it two wins from three with their 106-92 victory over the Nets after they lost their opening four games of the NBA season.
Detroit finished with six players on double figures, with Cade Cunningham leading the charge with 19 points. It was the second time this season they have had that many players score 13 points or more in a single game, after doing it just once last term.
And while their attack was impressive, they also held the Nets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, showing a vast improvement to their defense.
Bickerstaff was impressed with how his team have grown already since the start of the season.
"The guys did a great job of bouncing back," Bickerstaff said. "The conversation around the group has been to be better than we were the other night.
"Every single night we step on the floor, we aim to improve. The guys, just from a grit standpoint, how hard they played and how they shared the ball, it was unbelievable.
"We're getting better at everything. I feel our guys have embraced the system. They're really competing on that end of the floor. Individually, everybody's taking the challenge.
"There are still small things systematically, we're going to continue to improve on things. I'm learning what guys are capable of, but guys' willingness to take the challenge has given us an opportunity to put ourselves in a position that now we have a foundation of that, and we can grow from there."
Malik Beasley, who was another to finish on double figures as he scored 18 points, including two critical 3-point shots, believes their more proactive approach to defending pushed them towards the win.
"We started the game physical," Beasley said. "Last game, New York came out and just got whatever they wanted to get to.
"We made a point today to be physical and if we get fouls called early, it is what it is. We need to be known for a grit team, the Bad Boys, that whole thing. We did that [on Sunday]."
The Pistons are in action again on Monday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fun returns for Doncic as Mavs ease past Magic
Luka Doncic hailed a "real fun" performance from the Dallas Mavericks after they bounced back from Thursday's loss to the Houston Rockets with a comfortable win over the Orlando Magic.
Coming off the back of their second defeat of the season, the Mavs downed a short-handed Magic side by a 108-85 scoreline to improve to 4-2 for 2024-25.
Doncic had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while team-mate Daniel Gafford added a season-high 18 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes on court.
But it was a suffocating defensive performance that kept out an Orlando team deprived of injured star Paolo Banchero and won Dallas plaudits, and Doncic enjoyed his role.
"Today was real fun," he said. "We were guarding everybody, defending, rebounding, playing with a lot of pace. So that's fun for me."
Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who arrived from the Golden State Warriors during the offseason, had a quiet night with just nine points for Dallas.
However, head coach Jason Kidd was pleased with his all-round contribution, saying: "I thought he played a great game.
"I know we look at him for scoring and shooting threes, but I thought his playmaking, his energy was high. He was moving on both ends at a very high level."
Dallas are next in action against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, while the 3-4 Magic visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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