1 week ago
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KEITH CLEMENT
Lead Editor – Sports
Shock and sadness covered the local basketball and netball fraternities on Saturday night when news broke that Sharon “Bones” Castanada, who wore the red, white and black national colours for almost three decades on both the basketball and netball courts, had passed away at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. She was 57.
Bones, as she was popularly known during her playing days, was widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest basketball players, with her extraordinary playing days.
Castanada, the sister of former national and world champion netballer Peggy Castanada, was an iconic figure in national sports. Sharon’s legacy as an athlete, leader, coach, and mentor was unparalleled.
Castanada (Sharon) was the captain of the Trinidad and Tobago National Women’s Basketball Team that won five Caricom Basketball championships in the 1980s and 90s and a standout player at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, USA.
Blessed with outstanding dribbling, shooting and passing skills, she made scoring look easy, whether it was a lay-up, a mid-range jumper or a shot from beyond the three-point range.
Her athletic prowess saw her lead Barataria Ball Players to many league titles, and Brian Chase Academy in her latter playing years to celebration as Super 10 Champion in 2012. She excelled as an outstanding player of the Northwestern Basketball League, where she hoisted many Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.
She also enjoyed a pro stint in the English Basketball League with Sheffield Hatters helping them to reach the 2001 final before losing to Rhondda Rebeles 66-57. Her talent extended beyond basketball—she was also a national netball player, representing Trinidad and Tobago as the youngest-ever senior national team player at the age of fifteen in 1983.
She played for the celebrated Pan-Am Marverlites netball team and was a vital member as they dominated the Port-of-Spain Netball League for years, playing alongside her big sister – Peggy. In fact, both Sharon and Peggy played on the national netball team as teammates.
A trailblazer on and off the court, Castanada later transitioned into coaching, serving with distinction with the Ministry of Sport and as the head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Junior Female National Basketball Team in 2016. She coaches at Bishop Anstey High School and was also the founder of the Stingers Basketball Club. In 2018, she was elected to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the National Basketball Federation of Trinidad and Tobago (NBFTT).
Her influence stretched far beyond her athletic achievements—Sharon was a beloved friend, a fierce competitor, and a mentor to many.
Former national coach and the current technical director of Cayman Islands Basketball, T&T’s Victor “Voot” O’Garro paid tribute to the player who he had the opportunity to coach. Via Facebook he wrote, “I had the pleasure of coaching this phenomenal athlete; her basketball IQ was extremely high, added to her athletic ability, what a force to reckon with. She was an assassin on the court. Another gem has passed on. May her soul sleep in eternal peace.”
Albert “Spotty” Sprott, who coached Castanada for almost a decade and at the prime of basketball career said, “I had the pleasure and the opportunity to coach Sharon with Demarara Life Barataria All Stars. It was the easiest coaching job, just having Sharon on the court. She one of Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest female player ever, she was even better than some men to be honest. Hearing someone ill there is always hope, Hearing them gone, past away its so heart breaking.
The love and passion she had for the sport of Basketball was real, she left us with wonderful memories, the friendship we shared will never be forgotten I salute you and you will be missed. Trinidad and Tobago has lost a gem, may God grant your family the strength in this time of grief. RIP my friend.”
Another former national sporting icon, Olympian Ian “Frinty” Morris, was lost for words after hearing the news of his former colleague who he worked with at the Ministry of Sports; he said, “No way, allyuh not serious.”
On Sunday, FaceBook was lit up with messages of condolences for Sharon ‘Bones’ Castanada.
One of her friends on Facebook wrote, “The memories of her days on the Raymond Reid Court, the Charford Court times with her mother, and the countless passionate debates about basketball—who was better, Sharon or her brother Denzil—will live on forever.”
Castanada’s passing comes 48 hours after another legend of basketball, Leslie “Tinnen” Rowley, 64, was laid to rest.
Leslie was a former captain of the Trinidad and Tobago National Men’s Basketball Team and a pillar of excellence in the sport both locally and internationally.
A proud member of a renowned basketball family, he was the brother of Junior Harper and uncle to Junisha Harper—both respected figures in Trinidad and Tobago’s basketball community.
Throughout his illustrious career, Leslie played for several celebrated teams, including Togetherness Express, Super Star, and South East Port-of-Spain (S.E.P.O.S.).
He also represented Trinidad and Tobago abroad, competing at the NCAA collegiate level and in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the United States, a forerunner to today’s NBA G-League.
“Tinnen” was not only a talented athlete but also a mentor and inspiration to generations of players. His skill, leadership, and dedication helped elevate the game in Trinidad and Tobago and left an indelible mark on the sport.
In April, the sport also lost an administrative legend of the Northwestern Basketball League, Kelvin “Robbie” Roberts; he was 89. He was General Secretary of the League during the playing days of Sharon, Leslie “Tinnin” Rowley and Lincoln “Cripple” Griffith. He also served as General Secretary and Secretary of Operations of the National Basketball Federation of T&T. He was honoured by the Super 10 Basketball League during their annual Easter Hoops Classic in 2011.
Back in December 2024, the sport lost Lincoln “Cripple” Griffith, another former national player and a legendary figure in our history.
Known for his unorthodox yet deadly accurate left-handed shooting style, Griffith was a standout player who left an indelible mark on the sport both locally and internationally.
During a coaching visit to Trinidad and Tobago in 1983, former New York Knicks NBA player Dean Meminger remarked:
“Lincoln ‘Cripple’ Griffith could walk on and make any NBA team right now.”
Such was the level of talent and skill that Cripple possessed—a testament to his exceptional abilities on the court.
Lincoln sported the national colours for over 12 years, earning a reputation as one of the most formidable and creative guards of his era.
Locally, he was a key player for both CICL Hornets and the Pro Rangers—a breakaway club founded by his father, the late ‘Fig’ Griffith, and his brother Brian “Rocky” Griffith.
In the later years of his career, ‘Cripple’ also brought his talents and leadership to the Maloney Pacers Basketball Team, leaving a lasting impression on yet another generation of players.
Due to his unique playing style, there was nothing crippled about his game. He was a genius with the ball in his hands, a fearless competitor, and a mentor to many.
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