The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS 

Chief Sports Editor 

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN preparation for the Olympic qualifier next month, the Bahamas Basketball Federation is expected to utilise the services of Klay Thompson during the men’s national basketball team training camp.

The training camp is expected to start today in Houston, Texas, and Thompson, the son of Bahamian two-time National Basketball Association champion Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson with the Los Angeles Lakers, is expected to be a part of the team.

Klay Thompson, a shooting guard who has won four titles with the Golden State Warriors, is expected to test the free agency market in the coming weeks.

But with Chris DeMarco, an assistant coach with Golden State, serving as the head coach for Bahamas men’s team, Thompson has decided to lend his assistance.

The training camp is the continuation of the Road to Olympics 24 as the national team gets ready to compete in the final qualifier for the Olympic Games in Valencia, Spain, from July 2-7 in Pool B against Poland and Finland.

The 34-year-old Thompson previously played and won a gold medal for Team USA in the 2016 Olympics on Team USA. But he always discussed the idea of playing for the Bahamas in recognition of his father, who played 935 games in the NBA from 1978 to 1991 and won two championships as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Thompson would need to receive an official release from USA Basketball and approval from FIBA in order to be cleared to play in the Olympic qualifiers and further competition for Team Bahamas, which isn’t expected to happen.

The Bahamian national team is flying to Greece for two exhibition games against Montenegro on June 25 and Greece (and possibly Giannis Antetokounmpo) on June 27, followed by the Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain beginning July 2.

While Thompson has not been confirmed to compete in the Qualifier, already confirmed to are fellow NBA players Chavano “Buddy” Hield from the Philadelphia 76ers, Deandre Ayton of the Portland Trail Blazers, Eric Gordon of the Pheonix Suns and Kai Jones of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Also listed to compete are rising stars VJ Edgecombe, Donnie Freeman and Deyton Albury, who are preparing to compete at the collegiate level for Baylor, Syracuse and Ranger College respectively.

Efforts are also being made to add AJ Storr from Kansas and Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but team officials did not release the official team list up to press time last night.

The Bahamas, led by Hield, Gordon and Ayton, booked its ticket to the Olympic Qualifier by winning the Americas Pre-Olympic Qualifier with a stunning victory over host Argentina, one of the top teams in the world, at the Estadio Ciudad in Santiago delEstero, Argentina last August.