The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT has been a long time coming, but the most iconic name in Bahamian basketball will finally have a permanent fixture to recognise his contribution to the country.

The Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson Boulevard was officially unveiled at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre last night.

The road stretches from Thompson Boulevard at the entrance of the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and covers the road that extends to the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

“This is truly overwhelming. I am humble and at a loss for words. I’m so thankful and greatful for this honour,” Thompson said. “Since I retired, not a year went by when someone hasn’t mentioned the Bahamas. Everyone says ‘Mychal how come you haven’t been recognised?’ and I say to them we have been honoured and been paid tribute to since we played high school. I was honoured when we felt the love of the Bahamian people every time we came back home or when we took the floor when we played. We always knew we had to play for something bigger and that was to represent the Bahamas.”

Thompson, 60, said his only wish was that he could share the honour with his high school teammates, known as “The Jackson Five.”

“I had so much helping to get where I am. Hearing all these nice words and compliments, I feel awkward being here alone because it wasn’t just me,” he said. “Whenever I get recognised in basketball I always feel like there should be four of us. I feel like I should be sharing this attention with Osborne Lockhart, Cecil Rose, Charles Thompson.”

Prime Minister Perry Christie took the opportunity to laud Thompson as a player and as an ambassador for the country.

“We have produced great people in this country. Greatness will truly be assessed generations from now when history will filter out who was really and truly great. The genesis of their stories of all of them are very similar with a current theme,” Christie said.

“Their origins were all of humble circumstances. There was a powerful dream, a dream that I could be something special. A dream that anything is possible if I believe in myself.”

In addition to honouring Thompson, several Bahamian sporting icons were immortalised with their portraits on the “Walk of Fame.”

“In addition to naming the main entrance of the QE Sports Centre after Mychal Thompson there are two dozen or so sports legends with similar triumphs against considerable odds,” he said. “Their images will be memorialised on legends walk as a tangible testament to their contribution to the development of sports in this country.”

It continued a landmark year for the Thompson family after Mychal’s son Klay won an NBA championship as a member of the Golden State Warriors. And it was a double dose of celebrations for the Thompson family as they also celebrated Mychel Thompson’s triumph with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA D-League.

As a part of his vote of thanks, the elder Thompson thanked his sons for being their to witness the honour while recognising their accomplishments.

“I was just as proud of Mychel as I was of Klay. The D-League is the second best league in the world so it was an honour for him to be the champion too,” Thompson said. “It just makes you feel so proud as a father to see your sons follow in your footsteps as a champion at these two major leagues.”

Only the combos of Matt Goukas Sr and Jr, Rick and Brent Barry and Bill and Luke Walton have won the NBA title as a father-son tandem before Mychal and Klay Thompson joined the prestigious list. However, Mychel Thompson joins them in becoming the first father-sons trio to win in both the NBA and D-League.