Veteran Jamaican hooper ready to give back

Veteran Jamaican basketballer Adrian Uter has big dreams, and those dreams are to return to his country of birth and establish basketball centres around the country.

The 36-year-old Uter is in his 14th year as a basketball professional, which has taken him from Austrian club Swans Gmunden in 2006 to Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico presently in the BNS league.

The former Hofstra University player was part of the historic Jamaica team that beat former World Champions Brazil and Argentina at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship, and it is that pride and joy of representing the national team that is pushing the Manchester native to give back to the country of his birth.

Basketball programme

"I have many plans in the future where I could help Jamaican basketball, where I can build up the basketball programme on the island. We have so many athletes and one of the challenges is that there aren't enough professional courts where kids can play," said Uter.

The forward/centre, who left Jamaica at the tender age of 10 to go to the United States, says he would want to emulate Puerto Rico where he currently lives and plays professionally in their biosecure league.

He added that the number 16-ranked nation has invested in infrastructure to develop the sport of basketball, which is on every crevice and corner of the island.

"In Puerto Rico, every city you go on the island, they have nice indoor courts where kids can play year round, so that is what I would want for the future of Jamaica," he said.

Uter says he plans to start in the next three years where the centres will be set up for young upcoming basketballers to play in a professional, safe environment, where they can have access to coaching clinics.

"I can't guarantee that any of the kids will make it to the NBA, but if I can get one child to get a college scholarship, I would have done my job," he said.