Cedella Marley, head of the Bob Marley Foundation, has pledged her support to the development of basketball in Jamaica.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange made the announcement on Wednesday, Feb 7, at a function coordinated by Mack and Mack Innovations to welcome and thank young basketball phenom, Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr., at the Jamaica Pegasus Garden Theatre.

The six-foot-eight versatile small forward has agreed to represent both Jamaica, the birthplace of his mother Chelsea, and The Congo in Africa, home of his father Anicet Dybantsa Sr.

The player was in the island to sort out those dual citizen details and to host a basketball clinic for Phase One represented by director Wayne Dawkins and Dawkins Sports Management at the GC Foster College for young basketball hopefuls here.

AJ is seeking to represent Jamaica at the upcoming 2024 Nike Hoop Summit in April this year at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon in the USA.

The tournament showcases America’s top men’s and women’s high school seniors against the best players from around the world who are 19 years old or younger.

Some of basketball’s greatest stars including six NBA MVP’s such as Kevin Durrant, Kevin Garnett, Nikola Jokic Derrick Rose, Joel Embiid and Dirk Nowitz, are past participants in the summit, while 38 NBA All-Stars such as Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson, have benefited from the exposure gained there.

AJ is the number one high-school player in the USA and is projected to be the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the most prestigious and lucrative basketball league in the world.

Grange thanked AJ for his interest in representing Jamaica noting that he had “an entire country behind you” while also noting the Jamaican connection to the Congo in the the Kumina dance African retention.

She also vowed to make herself available to basketball interests including the Phase 1 Academy as well as the University of Technology (UTECH) which has an extensive basketball programme, among other representatives of the sport to boost basketball’s development locally.

The outstanding young player from Brockton, Massachusetts is regarded as one of the premier amateur prospects in the world while still in high school, with a number of top teams already angling to sign him after college.

Among his many achievements include being the leading all scorers at the Nike Peach Jam event, averaging 26 points and six rebounds (played up two age groups); leading the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Top 100 Camp in scoring despite being one of two rising sophomores that participated; as well as earning a gold medal on Team USA’s U16 team during the FIBA World Cup.

As a result of his involvement along with his sponsors Nike and local representatives, the great basketball icon Lebron James is set to come to Jamaica in the near future.

At the function, AJ noted that he was happy to be in Jamaica which he admired for its sporting prowess noting that he was committed to developing basketball here.

“Anywhere I go, I’m trying to showcase my talents. Working out with the pros was a good experience because people don’t see how they manipulate the game on the court, it’s not just their skill set. It all taught me a lot and I think it’ll elevate my game, as well as allow me to teach others,” he noted.