Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of sports, and the NBA is no exception.
Recently, ESPN announced that ESPN and ESPN2 will televise NBA games across the Caribbean, including up to 46 games from this year’s NBA Playoffs, the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals. This included the First Round of the NBA Playoffs featuring live coverage of the first four games, as well as the Conference Semifinals leading up to the Finals.
The relationship between the NBA and the Caribbean, of course, goes far deeper than televised official games. Many iconic NBA players to date hail from the Caribbean islands. Even as they wear different colored jerseys, these players also don’t shy away from their Caribbean roots and heritage. Below, we’ll take a closer look at the NBA as an avenue for diversity and four Caribbean NBA players you should watch out for:
NBA’s player base and diversity
As explained above, the NBA makes use of the universal love for basketball as a sport to unite people around the world. The NBA has long spoken about diversity and inclusion as part of its philosophy. Today, basketball is played by more than 450 million people worldwide, and this is supported by NBA Academies situated in places like Mexico City, Thies, Zhejiang, and Delhi.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that many NBA players, viewers, and fans hail from the Caribbean. The Caribbean makes up just one demographic following the NBA that comprises a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, not to mention people who pursue pastimes that crossover with basketball.
Remember, the NBA is the most famous basketball league so it’s not surprising that it appeals to diverse demographics. This is especially true with the global gaming community as it pulls in viewers from everything from NBA 2K fans all the way to crypto enthusiasts who love NBA betting on cutting-edge platforms such as Thunderpick that let patrons from all over the world follow their favorite Caribbean ballers and place wagers on in-play markets. The NBA’s global appeal is unbelievable, and it is this diversity and inclusion that makes it so marketable to a wide audience, helping to lift the next Caribbean rookie to global stardom.
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most notable Caribbean NBA players you should watch out for:
Andre Drummond (Jamaica)
As a center for the Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Drummond was named part of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team with Detroit in 2013 and was an All-Star for the first time in 2016. While born in Mount Vernon, New York, Drummong was born to Jamaican parents and was a member of the 2014 US national team that won a gold medal in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Drummond has always made a point to give his Jamaican roots a shoutout. In an interview with GQ, Drummond mentioned his love for Jamaican food or soul food on his cheat days, stating that he doesn’t tend to branch out further than that. Of course, the love for Jamaican cuisine is well-deserved considering his more rigid game day diet that normally consists of oatmeal, a bowl of fruit, or a smoothie.
Chris Duarte (Dominican Republic)
Playing for the Chicago Bulls, Chris Duarte was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Duarte played college basketball for the Northwest Florida State Raiders and the Oregon Ducks. He was 13th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2021 NBA draft and was named in the NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. He also participated in the NBA’s 2022 Rising Stars Challenge with teammate Tyrese Haliburton.
Duarte scored 14 points on 6/15 beating out Egypt in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament this year. Previously, Duarte donned the Dominican Republic jersey in the World Cup Qualifiers against Panama and Venezuela in August 2022. While his performance was deemed underwhelming at the time after scoring 11 and 20 points respectively, his recent showing in later matches sees the former NBA All-Rookie Second Team member confident he’ll be back to rookie-year form soon.
Kyle Anderson (Jamaica)
Nicknamed “Slow Mo,” Kyle Anderson plays for the Golden State Warriors. Born in New York City, Anderson’s maternal grandmother grew up in Jamaica where they lived among Chinese Jamaicans. In 2018, Anderson researched his ancestry and visited China to meet his distant family in Shenzhen. Anderson played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and was selected 30th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA draft.
Anderson earned his nickname “Slow Mo” for his methodical playstyle in eighth grade. Sports Illustrated described him as “the most versatile player in the country” in 2014, playing offense for a college team at six feet nine inches, making him a good build for defense with the ball handling skills to run offense.
Tim Duncan (US Virgin Islands)
Finally, going a little vintage, Tim Duncan is a San Antonio Spurs legend. Born and raised in Saint Croix, US Virgin Islands, he is nicknamed “the Big Fundamental” and is widely regarded as the best power forward and one of the greatest players in NBA history. In 2020, Duncan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and in 2021. Duncan played an integral role in delivering the Spurs their first NBA title in 1999 and went on to stay with the team over his 19-year-long career and earned his final All-Defensive team award in 2015 at 38 years old.
This year, Duncan was named the fourth-highest-ranked NBA player behind fellow NBA legends Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. The list included other top-performing athletes from different sports, like Olympian Michael Phelps, American tennis star Serena Williams, and Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, who took the top three spots ahead of LeBron James.
If you enjoyed this post, you might want to check out our post highlighting other impressive Caribbean athletes and their history-making performance at the recent Paris Olympics, including Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez’s fifth gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
