WITH the Centrobasket Championship set for July 5-11 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association Ajani Williams believes Jamaica’s men’s team of “unheralded heroes” will awaken the country to a “new reality of Jamaica basketball”.

Jamaica, drawn in Group B of the championship, will play US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Panama and hosts Dominican Republic in their preliminary matches from July 6-9.

“This year Team Jamaica Basketball will take steps to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London and though the games will clash with the excitement of the World Cup, the team is focused solely on the results…,” he noted.

Williams noted that “much is made of the good fortunes of Jamaica basketball to have the services of the likes of Samardo Samuels, Jerome Jordan, both born and raised in Jamaica, and in this year’s NBA draft and soon-to-be additions such as starting centre of the Indiana Pacers Roy Hibbert, and former second-round pick of Sacramento Kings and son of a living legend, Patrick Ewing Jr.

“While these super athletes and stars get most of the attention because of their NBA play or potential, the world of basketball is truly a global game.

Players like Andre Smith, Kimani Ffriend, Damion Staples, Weyinmi Efejuku, Ricky Johns, Ricardo Alliman, Adrian Forbes and soon-to-be acquisitions such as Johns Garfield, Justin Leith all have riveting stories of their lives with the college game.

“They tell of their journeys from Jamaica, and for the ones who are international pros they have experiences playing pro ball in such places as Turkey, China, Argentina, and Mexico,” he pointed out.

From the Centrobasket Championship, the top four go to the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship, a pre-Olympic qualifier; the top eight will take part in this year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico; and the top three in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalahara, Mexico.