Qualified Team Focus - Bahamas: Can upstart Caribbeans' fairytale continue with first Olympics?
MIES (Switzerland) - It is now time to meet the six teams in this FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain with the dream of becoming Olympic champions this summer.
Here is the number 57 team in the FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike, the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Argentina winners Bahamas. The Caribbean country has only played at the FIBA AmeriCup once - in 1995 - but they can legitimately dream of their first appearance at the Olympics.
How they qualified
Bahamas failed to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 as they finished last in the Second Round Group E of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers. The Caribbean nation however did get a berth to the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Argentina.
With a team featuring three NBA players, Bahamas opened the Pre-OQT with a dominant 109-68 victory over Cuba. Head coach Chris Demarco's team then shocked hosts Argentina with a 101-89 victory to take top honors in Group A and reach the Semi-Finals.
Bahamas were never challenged in the Semi-Finals by Uruguay with a 78-62 victory, setting up another showdown with Argentina in the Final in Santiago del Estero. Argentina were ahead 73-71 with under 3 minutes to play when NBA veteran Eric Gordon drained three straight three-pointers and Bahamas led 80-75 with 20 seconds to go. The underdogs would finish the deal with an 82-75 victory and Bahamas had surprised Argentina twice in the matter of five days to reach the OQTs.
🇧🇸 HISTORY MAKERS 🇧🇸
— FIBA (@FIBA) August 21, 2023
The Bahamas qualify to the #FIBAOQT for a chance to play their first ever Olympics and celebrate a well-deserved win over Argentina! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SmpIvbhs2a
Record at the Olympics
Mychel Thompson played with Bahamas already back at the FIBA CentroBasket 2014
Appearances: 0
Medals: 0
Recent OQT history*
* Since 2008
Bahamas have not played at a FIBA AmeriCup since 1995 and took seventh place at the FIBA CentroBasket 2016. They did grab one victory at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers - knocking off Dominican Republic in the final game.
Bahamas registered two wins over Virgin Islands in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers to reach the Second Round, where they also knocked off Panama. Now Bahamas have a chance to make their OQT debut.
Last Olympics appearance
A then 17-year-old Deandre Ayton at the FIBA CentroBasket 2016
Bahamas have never been closer to making their Olympics debut - in theory just three victories from Paris 2024. From 2012 to 2016, Bahamas registered a combined 5-8 record in three FIBA CentroBaskets - finishing fifth in 2012 and seventh in 2014 and 2016 and missing out on the FIBA AmeriCup each time.
The OQT Group Phase
Bahamas head coach Chris Demarco
Bahamas will enter the OQT Spain as a major underdog according to their No. 57 spot in the FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike. But the Caribbeans will not consider themselves as outsiders with their talent.
Still, Bahamas will face an extremely still road to Paris 2024. They start Group B against strong European side Finland, who will be led by superstar Lauri Markkanen. The task doesn't get any easier as Poland await the Bahamians a day later.
The top two finishers in each group reach the Semi-Finals, where Bahamas would face one of Angola, Lebanon or hosts Spain. Bahamas would then need one more victory in the Final to lock up a ticket to the Paris Olympics.
Bahamas OQT games
vs Finland (July 2)
vs Poland (July 3)
Players to watch
Eric Gordon may be 35 years old but the guard showed at the Pre-OQTs that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. And the 16-year NBA veteran has all the experience in the world to call upon to lead the Bahamas team - including 886 regular season games in the NBA as well as 64 playoff contests.
Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield was the first of the NBA players to buy into the Bahamas project and he has dominated in FIBA action as well - 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers and 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Pre-OQT. Hield will be a lethal scoring option for opposing defenses to stop.
In the middle is NBA big man Deandre Ayton, who contributed 15.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals in the Pre-OQT. Ayton served as an immovable force in the paint and a menace on the glass as well as a strong rim protector.
The fourth NBA player could be Kai Jones, who might be the most dynamic of the bunch and will further strengthen the Bahamas team since he did not play at the Pre-OQT. The 23-year-old forward played two games at the AmeriCup Qualifiers and combined for 36 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks, to go with just 2 turnovers in 68 minutes of action.
As if four top NBA players are not enough, long-time nation team veteran Mychel Thompson - son of former NBA great Mychal Thompson and brother of NBA star Klay Thompson - will serve as a great role player who can step up at any time needed. There is also Travis Munnings, who poured in 20 and 16 points in the two Pre-OQT wins over Argentina.
Bahamas even have some depth of other solid role players including Franco Miller, Kentwan Smith, Lourawls Nairn, David Nesbitt, Tavario Miller, Jaraun Burrows and Dominik Bridgewater, the latter who collected 16.5 points and 4.0 assists in the first window of the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers.
