JAMAICAN big men Kofi Cockburn and Kentan Facey have built professional careers overseas, and while the NBA remains a dream for many, the pair believe young players should not view it as the only path to success in the sport.

Cockburn and Facey have been key members of the national team during their historic FIBA World Cup Qualifying campaign, starting all four-group stage in the first round of Americas Qualifiers including the recent defeats to Bahamas and Canada at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Twenty-six-year-old Cockburn has spent his entire four-year professional career in Asia. The seven-foot centre started out at Niigata Albirex BB in Japan in 2022 before moving to two-time South Korean champions Seoul Samsung Thunders in 2023.

The former St Andrew Technical High (STATHS) star returned to Japan last year where he currently plays for East Asia Super League champions Hiroshima Dragonflies.

Cockburn told the Jamaica Observer that he’s improved significantly as a player since moving to the Asian continent.

“Japan is high-level basketball. It’s similar to [American] college and that’s just helped me develop,” he said. “I’ve gotten better [because] I’m playing against different teams, playing against different defences, different offences, and you keep on learning.”

Thirty-two-year-old Trelawny native Facey has made Europe his home professionally, playing the last seven years in France after stints in Greece and Cyprus.

The 6-foot-10 power forward currently plays for Caen Basketball Calvados in France’s second division, having won the title with ADA Blois in 2022.

“I love the culture; I enjoy the style of play over there,” Facey told the Observer. “As far as experience, it’s a league that’s very physical, you have to develop an understanding for the game, so that has helped me to grow as a player and as a person.”

Both Cockburn and Facey started in the American college system before going professional. Cockburnn spent his time at the University of Illinois where he won several accolades including first team All-American in 2022 and freshman of the year in 2020.

National captain Facey lifted the NCAA Championship title with University of Connecticut in 2014 and played a total of 122 games between 2013 and 2014.

However, the pair were unsuccessful in transitioning to the NBA as they both went undfrated, though Kockburn signed a short-term contract with the Utah Jazz where he played in the NBA Summer League. None of the players currently on Jamaica’s roster plays in the NBA.

While they never made it to what is widely viewed as the world’s best basketball league, Cockburn and Facey believe young Jamaican players should recognise that there are many other opportunities in the sport.

“I think we’re [the national team] doing a good job of enabling these guys to come out and see that all of us are playing overseas,” Cockburn said. “I think in Jamaica, we’re so used to watching the NBA so we’re not used to seeing the EuroLeague, we’re not seeing the Asia League so, we don’t really know. We’re ignorant to it so now we’re coming out here, we’re doing this, and then guys are starting to see that there’s a different route to take.

“You look at soccer and you see you have Spanish League, you have Bundesliga [Germany], you have different types of leagues so we’re trying to show guys that, I know the NBA is a long shot, and that could kill confidence, but if you want to be a professional, it’s very reachable.”

Facey said, “The NBA is a goal as far as playing at the highest level. But it doesn’t mean you’re a failure if you fall to a level lower than that.

“You’re still a professional — you still could take care of yourself, you still could take care of your family. Shoot for the highest goal and you go to your limit and ff you can’t get to that point, you go to the next best thing.”

Cockburn and Facey are expected to return to international action in July when Jamaica take on Bahamas and Canada for a spot in the final round of World Cup Qualifying.

Jamaica are looking to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar for the first time.

Jamaica centre Kofi Cockburn celebrates while playing for Japanese basketball club Hiroshima Dragonflies.

Kentan Facey, Jamaica basketball team captain, plays for French club Caen Basketball Calvados.

Jamaica basketball team captain Kentan Facey competing for French club Caen Basketball Calvados.