Former national basketballer Marland Nattie is dead
Published:Monday | October 9, 2023 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
The basketball community was yesterday rocked by the death of former Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) president Marland Nattie.
Nattie, who had a stroke a couple months ago, was in the United States recuperating at a medical facility.
According to current JABA president Paulton Gordon, they all thought he was past the worst when he left hospital and was getting rehabilitative treatment. As a result, his sudden passing sent shockwaves through the basketball community.
Gordon described Nattie as a true servant who served the sport locally and regionally in many capacities and at various levels.
He said they are also contemplating naming this season’s National Basketball League (NBL) trophy in his honour.
“The basketball community is saddened. We are presently at the stadium (Sunday evening) trying to gather ourselves. We had some NBL games, and we had to postpone one of them.
“Nattie dedicated his life to basketball. He played in high school, he played nationally. He coached at the national level and at the club level and did a couple stints as president of basketball.
“He served administratively in other areas as general secretary, and at the time of his passing, he was vice-president.
“Recently, he was vice-president of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation. So he has served basketball throughout his entire life, both at the national and at the regional level. He was a resource person and someone who will be sadly missed. The game has lost a true servant, someone with vast knowledge and information as it relates to basketball,” Gordon commented.
He said the entire basketball fraternity is now in mourning, and they want to honour this dedicated servant of the game, with the NBL trophy named in his honour.
“We are all mourning this loss, and we say condolences to his entire family and the wider basketball community. One of the considerations we have is to name this year’s NBL trophy in is honour, but we will have to discuss that with the board.
“I have already shared this information with the minister (of sports), but I do not know what is happening on that side. But that is what, immediately, we are contemplating,” he said.
Nattie was JABA president from 1997-2008, and he was instrumental in getting the NBL started in the early 2000s. He leaves behind his wife, former national netballer and coach Oberon Pitterson, and a daughter.