TOP FIVE PLAYERS SELECTED IN DIGICEL JUMPSTART CLINIC Thursday 3rd September 2015
L-R Coach Bob Mackinnon, Lincoln Weekes, Anthony Greer, Kellony Tonge, Javon Simon, Kyon Simon and Coach Troy Justice
NBA coaches hosted the Digicel Jumpstart Clinics in Antigua and Barbuda and selected the top five players who will represent their country at the Elite Camp in Trinidad and Tobago.
The top five players selected are Anthony Greer, Kellony Tonge, Kyon Simon, Javon Simon and Lincoln Weekes. They were part of a group of 30 U-16 basketball players who participated in the first ever Digicel Jumpstart Clinics held at the J.S.C Sports Complex over the weekend.
The two-day clinic was hosted by Digicel, the NBA and the Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association (ABBA). The top players are scheduled to travel to Trinidad and Tobago in September for a week-long training camp with official NBA coaches along with 25 players from six other countries; Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos Islands.
International Basketball Operations Director at the NBA, Troy Justice, said it was not an easy task selecting the best five; “We saw some talented players over the two days which made it challenging to choose five, but I think these players will represent Antigua and Barbuda very well in the Elite Training Camp”.
In addition to natural talent, Coach Justice and his team looked for other things to seal the top five. He said; “We were looking for players who were disciplined and who understood what it means to play in a team, giving their best effort on the court with the right attitude.”
He also mentioned that the players will have an opportunity of a lifetime if they are selected as the best players from the Elite Training Camp to be put through their paces by NBA coaches and an NBA ‘Legend’ at NBA Facilities in the United States.
At the conclusion of the two day basketball camp, the President of the Antigua Barbuda Basketball Association, Daryll Mathew, said he was happy about the camp initiative and the players who were selected. He commented; “I must say congratulations to the boys as I have seen how hard they worked over the past two days to ensure they got the nod from the coaches.”
He continued, “It is programmes like these that ABBA will always support. We had certified NBA coaches accessing their skills and imparted new techniques that will improve their speed, accuracy and agility. They have even included our local coaches and worked with them over the past two days and also imparted some of their key learnings to the coaches. So this was a successful basketball programme.”
The clinic is a five year deal with the National Basketball Association and Digicel which will see the coaches returning next year to host another Jumpstart Clinic.
Click here for all News and Specials for
|