5 Jamaican NBA Players Who Are Making a Name for Themselves

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the highest Professional Basketball league in the world. Jamaican players have been making a name for themselves in the NBA for years. Here are five of the most successful Jamaican NBA players

Introduction

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional Basketball League in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the National Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States

Jamaican-born players have been making a name for themselves in the NBA for some time now. In recent years there has been an influx of Jamaican players breaking into the league. Here are 5 Jamaican NBA players who are currently making a name for themselves:

1. Joel Embiid
2. Ben Simmons
3. Lonzo Ball
4. Kyrie Irving
5. Jamal Murray

Jamal Murray

Jamal Murray, who is originally from Kitchener, Ontario, is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Murray was selected by the Nuggets with the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft He played one year of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being drafted.

Murray has represented Canada internationally on multiple occasions. He won a gold medal with Canada’s Under-19 team at the 2015 FIBA Americas Under-19 Championship. He also represented Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Murray was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2017. He was also selected to participate in the 2018 NBA Three-Point Contest

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (born July 12, 1998) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats Listed at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) and 180 pounds (82 kg), he plays the point guard and shooting guard positions.

Gilgeous-Alexander was born in Hamilton, Ontario to Christine and bounced around southern Ontario while growing up. His father moved the family to Georgia when Shai was in eighth grade, and he played High School basketball there before transferring to Louisiana for his senior year. Gilgeous-Alexander played one season of College Basketball for Kentucky before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft where he was selected in the first round with the 11th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets He was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night.

RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett, the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is one of the five Jamaican NBA players who are making a name for themselves. Barrett, who was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada to Rowan and Ethel Barrett, grew up playing basketball for Matthews Athletic and Recreation Association (MARA) in Brampton, Ontario. He played one season of College Basketball for Duke University before declaring for the NBA draft Barrett was drafted by the New York Knicks with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft He is the second Canadian to be drafted in the top three of an NBA Draft after Andrew Wiggins

Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson is a Jamaican-American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the Duke Blue Devils earning consensus first-team All-American and Freshman of the Year honors. He was selected first overall by the Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft Zion Williamson has been compared to Lebron James and Charles Barkley because of his physical stature and playing style.

Other Notable Players

There are several other Jamaican NBA players who are making a name for themselves, including:

--Chauncey Billups A 17-year veteran, Billups was named NBA Finals MVP in 2004 while playing for the Detroit Pistons He is currently a free agent
-Corey Brewer: A member of the Minnesota Timberwolves Brewer was drafted in 2007 and helped the team make the playoffs in 2014 for the first time since 2004.
-Tristan Thompson: A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Thompson was drafted in 2011 and was a key player on the Cavaliers team that won the NBA Championship in 2016.
--Tyler Ennis A member of the Los Angeles Lakers Ennis was drafted in 2014 and has shown promise as a young player
– Jeremi Grant: Also a member of the Lakers, Grant was drafted in 2015 and is considered one of the up-and-coming players in the league.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the five Jamaican NBA players mentioned above are all doing great things on and off the court. They are entertaining fans, helping their communities and inspirations to young people everywhere. Be sure to keep an eye out for these Jamaican superstars in the years to come!