Thompson eyes national team
JAMAICAN BASKETBALLER Shevon Thompson is hoping to represent Jamaica at the international level, but claims he has no idea what is taking place with the programme, and that he has no contact with anyone in the Jamaica Basketball Association.
Thompson, who has been creating waves in Belgium with Filou Oostende for the last two seasons and recently moved to German Euro League club, Alba Berlin, has aspirations of playing for the national team, which he thinks has a very strong chance of going places.
However, he says he know very little about what is taking place with Jamaica’s international participation or what is happening administratively.
“For me that’s what it is all about, playing for your national team. That’s the main thing for me, so I definitely want to play in the (national) jersey,” Thompson said.
“But I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what is going on with the international programme or what is going on in the office. I can’t speak much to what is going on right now, because I haven’t got any contacts or anything. But, definitely, the goal is to always play for the national team,” he said.
National coach and coordinator Rick Turner has been keeping tabs on players playing overseas, and he has been in touch with the 27 year-old Thompson, who is on a shortlist of players he intends to bring together in an attempt to qualify for the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
“He (Thompson) is certainly in our plans. He is a guy that is on the shortlist of people that we want to make sure have an opportunity to compete for a spot (national team). He is on a list of about 15 or 16 people we know are quality players. I have never seen him play in person, only on YouTube, but I am aware of his experience and skill sets.
“I have talked to him a couple of times, over text, to try and get him on my live stream, just to introduce myself and people following the programme, but we haven’t been able to connect on that level, for whatever reason. I am certainly aware of him, and I am certain he is aware of me because we texted a couple of times. I am anxious to get to know him a little better,”Turner said.
Like Thompson, Turner believes Jamaica currently has the quality to qualify for their first global tournament.
“We (Jamaica) definitely got the talent, we just got to put it together and get it to work,”Thompson told The Gleaner.