For more than five years, the Urban Knights Basketball Club has placed in the top three of the National Basketball League (NBL).

The team is proud of its track record, as well as the fact that it has never been late to a match or forfeited a game. Its reputation has also never been tarnished with any team member having been brought before a disciplinary committee.

This accomplishment has not been without sacrifice or without the efforts of the club’s administrative board and each team member who has seen and agreed with the vision of the club. Unique to the Urban Knights is a year-round training programme that aims to not only develop the sports skill-set of the player, but also the person as a whole.

Looking towards winning the NBL championships this year, the team also aspire for even greater fulfilment. Vice-captain Ian Gooden said: “We are going to take it one step at a time, developing as a team and as individuals.”

This outlook is certainly beneficial towards a positive sense of self-worth, not only as athletes, but as young men who wish to see themselves succeed at the game of life.

One member of corporate Jamaica has taken special notice of the club’s mission, National Supply, a leading industrial hardware supplier aand an avid supporter of Urban Knights since 1995.

Donovan Chen-See, director of sales and marketing, stated that his company his proud to support a club with this type of mandate.

“The Urban Knights share similar core values to ourselves here at National Supply, those of faith, teamwork, discipline, strategy, sacrifice, humility and personal development. We admire that the club is aimed at developing not only great athletes, but also great men,” he was quoted as saying.

Having already given millions of dollars over the years to Urban Knights, it was at this visit that the team was presented with a cheque valuing $700,000 from National Supply to go towards covering operational costs this NBL season.

Over the years the team has seen its members receive eight American college basketball scholarships, along with numerous other awards. In the NBL, the club has copped the Most Valuable Player award on numerous, spots on the NBL All-Stars team, plus has had several selections to the Jamaica senior national team.

Additionally, the club also lends assistance to its members in regard to job placement, training them in interview skills and job preparation.

Team members are also required to give weekly presentations on study assignments which they must go to the library to research, as well as, on books they are asked to read and provide reports on.

“We prepare them for life, not just the next match,” expressed Chen See. “When you see such effort being put into the development of the youths of this country, one must offer support. We believe we have formed a bond over the years and have welcomed Urban Knights into the National Supply family,” he concluded.

The club is ready for victory this NBL season having won six of their eight matches up to the point of writing, and no one is more confident of achieving this goal than club president Gordon Porter. “We are looking to take home for the fourth time the title of national champions,” he said.