by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
June 5, 2025
Discussions are currently taking place for the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, the Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Devin Vassell to join the Jamaican team
The Jamaica Basketball Association is reportedly trying to recruit three NBA players to join them for an upcoming international tournament this summer.
According to The New York Carib News, conversations are currently taking place for the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, the Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Devin Vassell to compete for the Jamaican team in the FIBA World Cup Americas Pre-Qualifiers happening in August. All respective players have Jamaican fathers, which makes them eligible to play for the country in international competitions.
JABA President Paulton Gordon seems excited about the possibility of the three men being a part of the team. He feels their presence gives them a better chance against the competition.
“We’re building a team that can compete at the highest level, and having players like Scottie, Isaiah, and Devin would be transformative,” said Gordon.
The team already has two other NBA players on the roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup Americas competition in August: the Los Angeles Clippers’ Norman Powell and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Josh Minott.
There are two other players who may be on the verge of joining the Jamaican basketball team.
Twins Amen (Houston Rockets) and Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons), whose father is from Jamaica, are currently in the process of obtaining their citizenship papers from Jamaica. They have expressed that they may be interested in playing for the country’s basketball squad.
BREAKING: @HoustonRockets All-Defensive First Team star Amen Thompson & Ausar Thompson of the @DetroitPistons are open to represent 🇯🇲 in future FIBA competitions & possibly the Olympics.
The twin brothers, whose father is Jamaican, have begun the citizenship process. pic.twitter.com/9POYM5XKNR
– Daniel Blake (@dannybeegie) May 25, 2025
The Jamaica Basketball Association is hoping that with this infusion of athletic talent available to them, they will get the chance to compete in the next Olympic competition.
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