A recent report suggests that talks are underway for Scottie Barnes and a few other NBA stars who are considering joining the Jamaican national basketball team. It’s unknown how plugged in Daniel Blake is with Barnes, but he has gotten news correct about the Jamaican national team in the past.
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Scottie Barnes has been in Florida for most of his early life, even including college (Florida State). His father, however, whom we don’t know much about other than the fact that he is Jamaican, makes Barnes eligible to switch over for the upcoming FIBA qualifiers.
The last time Barnes represented the United States of America nationally was during the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, which took place in Greece. He helped them bring home a gold medal at the tournament, where he teamed up with the likes of Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs and Tyrese Haliburton. Although a lot of players were declining to play for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Scottie Barnes still couldn’t make it to the senior roster (although he was at the tryouts). It’s no secret that the USA are the most stacked roster for basketball at every international tournament as they have a full pool of NBA players that they can construct their roster with.
One American who has already made the switch to the Jamaican national team is a familiar name for Raptor fans. Norman Powell was announced to be making the switch just a few months earlier, around mid-April.
It’s also being reported that Detroit Pistons big man and enforcer Isaiah Stewart and San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell are also in the talking stage about possibly joining Jamaica. The Thompson twins (Ausar and Amen) are looking to acquire Jamaican passports to also join the rest of the NBA stars who might make the switch.
