3 months ago
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Emerging NBA stars, twins Amen and Ausar Thompson of the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, respectively, are both highly motivated to represent Jamaica and help the country’s basketball achieve great things on the international stage.
The twins who hope to be playing for Jamaica very soon, met with members of the media at a meet-and-greet session at the S Hotel in Kingston yesterday to announce the start of the processing of their passports and citizenship.
Although representing Jamaica remains a distant possibility for the twins, who are restricted by a current FIBA rule, which limits the amount of overseas-born players who obtain their passports after age 16, a country can have in a team. They, however, remain steadfast in their dream to represent Jamaica.
Pistons’ forward/shooting guard Ausar Thompson wants the opportunity to take Jamaica’s basketball to the highest level, but said that they will have to be patient and allow the process to take its course.
“We can’t do anything without the citizenship, and without it we won’t be able to play. So that’s all I am thinking about right now. But if I could play, my goal is to help take the team to the highest possible level,” he said.
Amen, Rockets’ shooting guard/ forward, whose dream is to win Olympic gold for the Caribbean nation, said although it is unlikely they will be available to represent the country by the time World Cup pre-qualifiers start in August or the qualifiers in November, they are willing to wait it out, until their availability is finalised.
“Yes. For sure. We will hold out if do not get to make this window. We want to represent Jamaica,” he stated.
NBA PLAYERS
The two are now hoping that the FIBA rules get amended and they will be allowed to represent Jamaica very soon, and that their presence will further attract other NBA players with Jamaican background.
“I feel it just needs someone to step out first, and people will be inspired to possibly follow. We did that before with a team. We joined first and a bunch of people followed,” Ausar noted.
The players qualify to represent Jamaica through their father and agent Troy Thompson, while their mother, Maya Wilson, is an American.
They pointed out that even though their sons’ representation hangs in the balance, they wanted to lay the foundation because the boys are obsessed with playing for the country.
“The power rests with the president of the Olympics Committee and Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) President Paulton Gordon. If I had some stakes in it, I may be able to give a more positive answer.
“But I got them here (Jamaica) and got them to go do the citizenship and passport. But FIBA have to approve that,” Troy Thompson offered.
Meanwhile, the JABA President said Jamaica and other countries have continued to lobby FIBA for a rule change, and he believes the wind of change is blowing in that direction.
“We are lobbying for some changes. There are six to 10 NBA players with Jamaican connections who are keen to play for the island. So we want to look at lobbying further as it pertains to that rule.
“It’s a process. I went to a FIBA Congress recently and there was traction from countries like the Philippines, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria. They are in the same position we are,” Gordon said.
He noted that the twins have decided to start the process, despite knowing the restrictions, but that there is a sense of optimism that the rule is about to change.
“The Thompson twins decided to come down and start the process. Their dad said, let’s get the citizenship and passport first and foremost, before we start to lobby, and see what happens next.
“But it’s a matter of the momentum and the critical mass, to see whether or not FIBA is willing to make some adjustments to that rule, “ he added.
English (US) ·