The UWI Runnin Rebels secured a blowout win over the Rae Town Raptors in 2023 National Basketball League action at the National Stadium on Thursday.

The Rebels won the first quarter 14-8 before the Raptors turned things around with a 14-8 second quarter of their own to leave the teams tied at 22 going into halftime.

A strong third quarter for the Rebels, however, meant they led 39-30 going into the final quarter. Their dominance continued, winning the fourth 19-7 to complete a 59-37 victory.

Matthew McGowan led the way for the Rebels with 18 points and seven rebounds while also adding three steals and two assists. Omari Greene provided good support with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Jacquaine Freeman had 14 points.

Tijonny Forbes had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors.

Action will continue on Saturday with the Raptors facing the Falmouth Saints before the Upper Room Eagles take on the Central Celtics.

Having yearned for the return of the National Basketball League (NBL), a number of the country's top players are now raring to go, not merely to give of their best, but also to hopefully inspire youths in troubled communities to view the sport as a way out.

The ambitions of Adeeb Vernon, Leslie Cassell and Matthew-Dane Henry, coincide with Jamaica Basketball Association’s (JABA) objective, which is to use basketball as a way of influencing communities and schools to reduce incidence of violence, through partnership with the Ministry of National Security.

The upcoming season to target certain communities in Kingston, St James and Westmoreland for violence-intervention projects, marks the return of the nation’s top basketball league from a three-year COVID-induced break and will see 10 teams –down from 12 in 2020 –vying for supremacy over a four-month period, staring June 17.

Vernon, a member of defending champions St George’s Slayers, said the league’s objective hits close to home as he revealed that basketball saved him from his disruptive ways.

"I think this game can help Jamaica in the sense that it can get kids on the right track, and I should know because I was one of those teenagers who gave a lot of trouble growing up and it wasn’t until I got involved in basketball that my behaviour and overall attitude changed,” Vernon said during the League’s launch at the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) Phoenix Avenue base on Wednesday.

The power forward, who is now gearing up to represent Jamaica at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games next month, is hoping to continue his rich vein of form from a previous tournament.

“I was one of the top power forwards in the Phase 1 Caribbean League and so I now hope to be one of the best players in the NBL. I am working towards that goal and so I am looking forward to giving my all and entertaining the spectators,” Vernon declared.

Urban Knights representative Cassell, pointed out that his recent return to basketball came with a higher calling. 

"I am one of those players that have been away from the sport since COVID, but I found my wait back through a community league which my team won. But my bigger approach to that game was to be a role model for the younger players on the team,” he explained.

“My vision for basketball in Jamaica is to give the aspiring players something to look forward to. Yes, it would be good to get to the NBA or Europe, but if we are to be honest, we know chances of getting there are slim.

“So, my goal for Jamaica is to have a league that our younger players can look forward to, a league from which they can make a living, it seems far-fetched, but not impossible. So for me it starts with the NBL and so I plan to bring entertainment and professionalism to the league,” Cassell added.

Matthew-Dane Henry, of Upper Room Eagles, shared similar sentiments.

"Upper Room is aiming for a championship and in doing so, we plan to bring a certain level of professionalism, tenacity and energy to ensure that the entertainment value for the fans is at optimum. That three-year break was like torture, so thanks to the sponsors for coming on board and like you, we are looking forward to healthy competition and intensity,” he said.

Meanwhile, JABA president Paulton Gordon, expressed delight that the league is back on the basketball calendar to showcase the best local-based basketball talent and aspiring national payers who will display their skills in the presence of national coaches.

The other confirmed teams are, UWI Running Rebels, Rae Town Raptors, Tivoli Wizards, Falmouth Saints, Central Celtics, Spanish Town Spartans, and Portmore Flames.

An all-star NBL team will be selected mid-season to play against the visiting University of Missouri NCAA team during the summer.

“We are looking forward to a good four months of solid basketball and not only that but the partnership with the Ministry of National Security will help us take basketball into some of the communities and to use it as a tool for behaviour modification, so we are excited about that,” Gordon stated.

To achieve that goal, Gordon explained that though games will be played primarily at the National Stadium courts, they will move away at some point to select venues in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and possibly St Mary.

“We want to move the games outside of the urban hubs that are quite familiar with basketball so we will be playing some of the games in Montego Bay and we also think there is huge potential in St Ann and St Mary. So we want to carry high level basketball into that space so that more persons can become more familiar and interested in participating in the game,” he noted.

The National Basketball League (NBL) is set to make its long-awaited return from a two-year break, with one of the main features of the upcoming season being a partnership between Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) and the Ministry of National Security, to use the sport as a way of influencing troubled communities and schools, to reduce violence.

Some 10 teams led by defending champions St George’s Slayers are down to contest the season and players and coaches have expressed their delight about the return of the country’s top league on the basketball calendar, following the COVID-induced break.

This season will be launched on Wednesday May 31, at the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) starting at 2:00 pm.

The league is expected to be played over four months and will showcase some of the best local-based talent and aspiring national payers, who will parade their skills in the presence of national coaches. An all-star NBL team will also be selected mid-season to play against the visiting University of Missouri NCAA team, during the summer.   

Games will be played primarily at the National Stadium Courts, while select games will be hosted in Montego Bay and other approved venues. Teams will vie for cash prizes and other incentives provided by sponsors and partners. 

Confirmed teams are, St Georges Slayers (Defending Champions), UWI Runnin rebels, Rae Town Raptors, Urban Knights, Upper Room Eagles, Tivoli Wizards, Falmouth Saints, Central Celtics, Spanish Town Spartans and Portmore Flames