The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MIAMI, Florida - He should have been in school at Queen’s College but Amauri Bonamy was elated to take the time off to attend the National Basketball Association game on Wednesday night between the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Arena.

The nine-year-old eighth grader won a raffle ticket and he and his father, Alcindor Bonamy, decided to take in this game.

“It was a fun game. It was very exciting,” said the younger Bonamy as he seemed to be glued to his seat in the Bahamas suite on the upper deck from start to finish. “I don’t mind missing class today. I am just excited to be here to watch my favourite player (in the NBA).”

As a big supporter of Heat’s Dwayne Wade, the younger Bonamy said he was pleased to see him and even to watch as Chris Anderson made his ally hoop shots.

“It was a lot of fun,” he summed up. The only thing that the younger Bonamy didn’t get to do was to meet Wade. But his father said it was an experience that they will both cherish for a long time.

“It was an awesome experience. I think the Heat were on fire tonight. The Brooklyn Nets came out to play, but the Heat just had a better game,” he said. “To top it off, I think Dwayne Wade just had a terrific game tonight with 28 points. It was just fantastic tonight. It was an awesome experience.”

Bonamy, the Engineering Environmental and Safety Manager at Sun Oil, said the smiles on his son’s face throughout the game said it all.

“He didn’t really want to move. I think he really enjoyed his first NBA game live,” he said.

During the St Barnabas Church Fair last year, the younger Bonamy was awarded the first prize in a raffle, which was a round ticket to a NBA game. His father said they decided to take advantage of this game because it was the best time for both of them to travel.

It turned out to be a special night as the Ministry of Tourism and Baha Mar combined to put on a Bahamas Night at the AAA where they got a chance to not only promote the Bahamas, but also the opening of the Baha Mar Resort at the end of the month.