MIAMI (United States) – Jamaica showcased its potential in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers by defeating a regional powerhouse like Puerto Rico on the road. Although it was only the first game, Jamaica made it clear that it can be much more than what it showed in the Pre-Qualifiers, when the team looked overly dependent on Miami Heat star Norman Powell. Without Powell due to his NBA commitments, and the team unable to play at home in this opening window because of the recent hurricane that struck the country, expectations around Jamaica were modest. But this first win, regardless of what happens in the second game, reinvigorates their chances of reaching the Second Round and even dreaming of a World Cup berth. There’s an early reason for optimism: the new additions Jamaica brought in for debut in the Americas Qualifiers performed at a high level and provided much-needed depth.
Center Kofi Cockburn stole the spotlight with 26 points and 15 rebounds, capped by his game-winning basket in the final seconds at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. But Cockburn wasn’t the only fresh face compared to the Pre-Qualifiers roster. Tyran De Lattibeaudiere (15 points), Andrew Thelwell (12), and Chase Audige (11 points and 6 assists) also delivered solid contributions to the victory. The difficult situation in the country due to the hurricane served as inspiration for the players. “Everybody was touched in some way,” head coach Richard Turner said in the postgame press conference. “(Kentan) Facey’s family got hit hard. One of our assistant coaches lost the roof of his home. Most of the guys play overseas with their clubs, but they were affected. We talked about this at the start of this journey and I told them we had the opportunity to bring something special back to Jamaica—something they had never experienced before,” the coach explained. The challenge now is to sustain this strong level of play in the difficult Group B, where, despite the ideal start, Jamaica remains the underdog team against Canada, Puerto Rico, and Bahamas. However, with the core of Cockburn, Thelwell, Audige, and De Lattibeaudiere, plus veterans Romaine Thomas, Romaro Gill, and Kentan Facey, who did play in the Pre-Qualifiers, Jamaica has already sent a clear warning.
We feel like we’re in the toughest group. Canada and Puerto Rico are two of the best teams in the world, and Bahamas was one game away from the Olympics.
“It’s very demanding. We’ve talked about always keeping our composure. It was great to accomplish this in our first game after everything the country has just gone through, but as I said, this is the toughest group, and we haven’t achieved anything yet. This is a big win, but there’s a long way to go. We’re fighting to advance to the next round,” added the American coach. If Jamaica manages to perform consistently, the team could field an even stronger roster in the upcoming windows, especially in the summer of 2026. They already integrated Norman Powell in the Pre-Qualifiers and are working to add other NBA players such as Nick Richards (Phoenix Suns), Josh Minott (Boston Celtics), and twins Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets) and Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons), among others.
FIBA