The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team will need the help of the home crowd to advance to the second round of the 2027 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers.
The national team will play its next two Group B games against Jamaica and Puerto Rico on Friday July 3, and Monday July 6, both at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium in New Providence.
The team will need all the support it can get, as it currently sports a 1-3 win/loss record in Group B and will need to finish strong to get into the top three in the group and qualify for round two of play.
Moses Johnson, first vice president in the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF), said Team Bahamas will not only need the support of fans, but also sponsors, with Bahamian National Basketball Association (NBA) players expected to come home and play.
“Preparation is going very well,” Johnson said. “We are finalizing the budgetary logistics. You know what the product is that we provide, and this will be a huge opportunity for The Bahamas. We would love to qualify for the second round of the world cup qualifiers… that would be so advantageous for The Bahamas. We’re seeking to put one of our better teams on the floor. You’ll have the likes of our NBA players, with a few of our international players, and this would be a good combination, and a good product that the Bahamian people would want to see.”
The official team roster has not been released as yet. Team Bahamas is expected to be led by University of Kentucky men’s assistant basketball coach Mikhail McLean, a Bahamian.
The Bahamas earned its first victory of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers against Jamaica in February. The team emerged victorious, 99-96, with Bahamian guard Franco Miller Jr. leading the charge with a game-high 32 points.
The win helped Team Bahamas remain in the running for a top-three position in Group B play, but the next two games are critical.
Canada currently leads Group B with an undefeated 4-0 record.
Jamaica sits in second place with a 2-2 record, and Team Bahamas and Puerto Rico are tied at 1-3.
Johnson explained the importance of this competition, not only for advancement, but also for improving the nation’s FIBA world ranking.
“This is crucial,” said Johnson. “We’re now sporting a 1-3 record and we’re looking to try to get our record to 3-3 so that we can move on to the second round. Moving on to the second round would be important, because the records carry. We’ll play better teams… We’re looking to improve our ranking, not only just in the world, but in our region as well. In the Americas, we continue to try to transcend the lower tiers and get up there with the likes of Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, so we’re looking to continue our success. We’ve had a lot of success over the last few years, and we look to surpass the accomplishments we’ve had over the last few years.”
It is expected that Team Bahamas will feature a blend of NBA talent and professional players from other international leagues.
The last time Team Bahamas fielded NBA talent was during the nation’s historic run at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain. The team came within one game of advancing to the Olympic Games in men’s basketball for the first time in history.
“We continue to have the same guys who get us to this point collaborate with the NBA guys, and those guys playing over in European leagues and the top tier leagues. When you put them together, they make a dynamic team. You’re gonna see those names very shortly and you’re gonna say — you have to be in the place.”
While the BBF is excited to get these next two games played, Johnson urged sponsors to reach out and support this latest initiative.
Sponsors are encouraged to contact the BBF at telephone number (242) 557-0026.
Fans can also purchase tickets for the event via the website https://nsa-bahamas.com/events-tickets/.
