NBA player wants to help local players develop their skills

National Basketball Association (NBA) player Tari Eason, one of the sponsors of last weekend’s JamRockers Under-17 Basketball Classic tournament in Montego Bay, says he wants to continue to invest in basketball programmes locally and help more athletes to develop their skills.

Eason, a power forward with the Houston Rockets, is no stranger to the island. He told The Gleaner that he loves what Jamaica has to offer.

“My mom and I have fallen in love with Jamaica. We fell in love with the people and the community. Any chance to get to help uplift and broaden the reach in the basketball community, I am going to do it. I love basketball, it is a passion of mine and I have been doing it since I was a child,” Eason said.

“I want to keep it going now that I have seen this (U17 JamRockers Basketball Classics) and what it is and what it can become,” he added.

The 23-year-old played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Louisiana State University Tigers. He was selected 17th overall in the 2022 NBA draft. Eason told The Gleaner that playing more basketball “outside of your circle” will help in the development of the players.

“I think a lot more basketball and getting experiences like this with guys from overseas and getting into competitions help to elevate your game. It’s hard to gauge where you are at when you’re only playing against the people around you. Going out and playing other people, people coming here playing these games, I think that is big,” Eason explained.

Eason sponsored the teams with basketball gear, NBA-type rings for the winning team, with medals and trophies for the other participating teams.

According to him, the youngsters were impressive during the tournament.

“I think the youngsters competed. Really from beginning to end, clapping and playing defence and they just got after it. That is really what you can ask for,” Eason said.

Meanwhile, Dr Carey Wallace, executive director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, which is another main sponsor, said that sports tourism has the potential to grow in Jamaica.

“We are sitting on this gem when it comes to tourism assets. We also recognise that we have sporting and cultural assets, our brand is so popular internationally. Once we attach the name Jamaica and say the tournament is in Jamaica, everybody wakes up and pays attention and starts to line up to come on a trip. We can have flights full every week with persons coming for a variety of sporting activities to stay in hotels and to ensure tourism continues to grow,” Wallace said.

“Recognising that, we have to seek out all the variety of ways to give people a reason to come to Jamaica. Sports tourism is one such one, this basketball tournament is a glorious example for all the teams that are here in Montego Bay,” he added.