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American basketballers LeBron James and Steph Curry are among the most talented and popular athletes in the world with a masive global fan base, including right here in TT.
Lebron and Curry would have had a dream, like any youngster, playing the sport with aspirations of making it to the highest level. A few players from TT, who may not be known around the world yet, recently made their own noise by earning a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile – the first time TT copped a medal in the sport at the event.
Moriba De Freitas, Chike Augustine, along with twin brothers Ahkeel “Smally” Boyd and Ahkeem “Fato” Boyd finished third with a victory over Venezuela in the third-place playoff on Monday.
Veteran coach Christopher Jackson Charles guided the quartet to the historic medal.
[caption id="attachment_1042479" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Basketballer Chike Augustine goes in for a layup while Ahkeem Boyd observes. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
The TT players had the support of the crowd in Chile with the fans adopting the TT basketballers as their own. Their opponents were also impressed and were surprised to learn that De Freitas, Augustine and the Boyd twins do not play regularly in a league.
The 3x3 version of the game is still growing, but it is already in the Olympics debuting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021 because of the covid19 pandemic.
THE SHOT
Against Venezuela in the third-place playoff, “Smally” came up big in the moment converting a long-distance shot to seal the win for TT 21-20 after trailing 20-19. In 3x3 basketball shots from behind the arc are worth two points, unlike 5x5 basketball where a shot behind the arc gets you three points.
On Thursday, Newsday spent time with the TT basketballers at the Maloney outdoor basketball court. Reflecting on the game-winning shot, Augustine said he had one of the best views as he was on the bench at the time
“At this moment I still can’t comprehend that shot, honestly. I still can’t wrap my head around it...I had the best view in the house. I just came off. I took a while before I got up (to celebrate).”
[caption id="attachment_1042480" align="alignnone" width="683"] TT basketballer Ahkeem Boyd displays his Pan American Games 3x3 basketball bronze medal. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
Augustine, who is 6 ft 9, said the crowd was behind TT. “It was amazing. You felt like you were playing in front of a home crowd. I felt the love. Love to everyone back in Chile.”
Charles, who has been coaching the Boyd twins since they were 11 at the Maloney Pacers Basketball Club, was elated for his players.
“It was a great experience for those young men...they have really stepped up.”
He said many may not understand the significance of the achievement. “I still feel people don’t understand the magnitude...we have never gotten a medal in anything other than in CBC (Caribbean Basketball Confederation). CBC is the lowest level tournament.”
In the quarter-finals, TT upset a higher-ranked Brazil. Brazil were expected to defeat TT after the South American team finished fourth at the 2023 FIBA 3X3 World Cup in Vienna, Austria.
TT BALLERS SEEK MORE OPPORTUNITY
The last time a national basketball league was held was before the covid19 pandemic hit local shores in 2020.
This year a few competitions were held within respective zones and private tournaments, but nothing where the best teams from around the country competed in one tournament.
Since 2012, FIBA has organised 3x3 World Championships as well as a 3x3 World Tour.
Since 2021, the Red Bull Half Court tournament has been searching for the world’s best players – with stops in more than 20 countries.
Augustine is hoping the bronze medal in Chile would allow basketball to get more attention in TT. “It have so much youths coming up that interested in playing the game and it is a shame to see how many youths it have now and it really don’t have much functioning leagues for even the older guys that want to play now. It have nothing to do. I am glad now basketball in the spotlight and I hope that they really ride the wave.”
Charles said, “The positive is that these guys would have initiated a wave of support and awareness as it relates to basketball because a lot of people who may not know about basketball from a TT perspective, they would know now.”
He called for more unity among basketball stakeholders in TT. “There are some administrators who really and truly have the sport at heart, but unfortunately not all and I am saying this without any apology...even if two, three or four would have the sport (at heart) and trying to push it, if the others have their own agenda it could create some (chaos) because there will be divisions.”
Charles did give past local administrations credit for trying to promote 3x3.
[caption id="attachment_1042481" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Coach Christopher Jackson Charles -[/caption]
After losing to the US in the semi-finals, American player Jimmer Fredette was impressed by the TT players and was surprised to hear they were not playing regularly in a league. Charles said, “He was asking these guys, ‘Where you guys play?’” Fredette is a former NBA player.
IS OLYMPIC DREAM POSSIBLE FOR TT 3X3?
Charles thinks the TT players have the potential to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He explained that France have qualified as the host country and teams like the US and Serbia are expected to compete.
Eight teams will compete at the Olympics and Charles believes TT can earn one of the five remaining spots.
“They have five more spots,” Charles said. “Yes (we could qualify), but the board have to go and find out how.”
He said there are a number of qualifiers in the coming year ahead of the Olympics.
“We are up there with the top teams.”
Charles said more work will have to be done before those competitions.
“The training will be more lengthy, probably more guys would come to challenge (to make the team) which will be good because you want people to challenge for positions.”
At the 2020 Olympics, Latvia won gold, the Russian Olympic Committee took silver and Serbia copped bronze.
A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT
Like any successful sports team, a competent backroom staff is integral. Charles thanked physiotherapist Jelani Baptiste and trainer/manager Wayne Samuel for playing their part in helping the players perform.
“Their unwavering support is the reason these guys (achieve this),” Charles said.
Baptiste helped many of the players recover from injuries during the Pan Am games.
Charles said, “In the first game Moriba De Freitas got injured...Ahkeel had gotten his knee banged up and he was getting problems to walk. People don’t know those kind of things...Jelani got him back to playing.
“Why I bring up this is because these guys played hurt, they played with pride.”
Only four players made the TT team, but Charles said training sessions had 20 players who pushed each other to be their best.
“There were players who did not get picked, but they were still coming out and playing...they were still coming out and training with the team to help them to develop. Behind the scenes, there were a lot of people who helped.”
Charles said some people tend to be “overlooked.” National player Nathan Lewis, Triston Benjamin and many other players and coaches came out and supported the effort. Adrian Joseph is another player who has been integral in growing 3x3 in TT.
 
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