Category: Spain Pro

Kadeem Coleby Posts Double Double For Win On Birthday

Kadeem Coleby

Kadeem Coleby

By Brent Stubbs

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

#Birthday boy Kadeem Coleby helped the Akita Northern Happinets pick up their second straight victory in two nights over his celebrated weekend against the same team in the Japanese D1 professional basketball league.

#On his 31st birthday on Sunday, Coleby led four players in double figures with 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Akita NH, coached by Kenzo Maedo, pulled off a slim 73-72 decision over the Osaka E.

#In playing a total of 35 minutes, Coleby shot 6-for-11 from the field or 54.5 percent and 3-for-6 (50 percent) from the free throw line. Ten of his rebounds came from the defensive end. He also had three assists, three blocked shots and a steal.

#On Saturday night in the first of their double header in Akita, Coleby and Akita NH prevailed with an 80-72 rout over Osaka E as Coleby came up with 11 points and nine rebounds.

#Coleby, in 31 minutes, shot 5-for-7 from the field and 1-for-4 from the foul line. He had six of his rebounds on the defensive end. He also had two rebounds and a steal.

#With the two victories, Akita NH improved their win-loss record to 8-4 for fifth place in the East standings in the two-tier league.

#In their 12 games, Coleby is averaging 27.5 minutes per game. He was 71-for-99 (71.7) from the field and 36-for-64 (56.3) from the charity stripe. He is also averaging 8-0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 assists and 1-0 blocks.

#Since the season began on October 3, they went on a 4-game winning streak before losing three straight. After winning another two games, they went on two consecutive losses.

#Coleby and the Happinets close out the month of November with three games. They will play another home game against the front-running Tochigi B (11-1) on Wednesday night before they head on the road to take on Chiba on Saturday and Sunday.

#Coleby and Akita NH will gear up for a showdown on December 2 when they take on Niigata Albirex, featuring fellow Bahamian Mark St Fort, if they are both released to play for the Bahamas men’s national team in Puerto Rico for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers from November 27-December 1.

#There are a total of 10 games on the schedule for Coleby and Akita NH through December 27. They will return on January 2 to start the new year and the road to the end of the regular season on May 2. The 6-foot, 9-inch, 250-pound power forward/centre is a 2012 graduate of Wichita State University where he has earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies-sociology and a major in ethnic studies.

#He is the son of Dwight Coleby and Annabell Mass and has a brother, Dwight Coleby, who also played pro basketball. The two brothers have also represented the Bahamas on the men’s national basketball team.

#St Fort and Niigata Albirex were also in action over the weekend, losing both of their games to Tochigi B as they dropped to eighth place in the East division with a 4-9 win-loss record.

#In Saturday’s opener, they lost 99-57. In 21 minutes, St Fort was 2-for-4 from the field and 4-for-5 from the foul line for nine points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and a block.

#In game two on Sunday, they dropped a 85-67 decision as St Fort played 31 minutes and came through with 24 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. He shot 9-for-12 from the field and was 6-for-7 from the foul line.

#In the season after being promoted from the SeaHorses Mikawa of the Japanese B-League to the Niigata Albirex in September, St Fort has played in nine games and is averaging 13.6 minutes per game. He’s 26-for-39 (66.7) from the field, 4-for-12 (33.3) from the three-point arc and 29-for-32 (90.6) from the charity stripe. He is averaging 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.8 blocks. St Fort, who turned 32 on November 5, is a 6-7, 209 small forward who graduated from Wagner College in 2013 after transferring from Savannah State. He too played for the men’s national basketball team.

#On Wednesday, St Fort and Niigata Albirex will be back in action when they take on Alvark T. They close out the month with two games on the weekend against Hokkaido K on Saturday and Sunday.

#St Fort and Niigata Albirex won’t play again until December 2 when they face Coleby and Akita NH, depending on their participation in Puerto Rico for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers from November 27-December 1 with the men’s national basketball team.

#Just like Coleby and Akita NH, St Fort and Niigata Albirex will have nine more games up to December 27 to end the year. They start the new year on January 2 with the regular season completed on May 2. 

Mackey Jr Returns Home

As of Monday, June 15, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER months under quarantine in Spain since his rookie season of pro basketball abruptly concluded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Willis Mackey Jr is one of many Bahamian residents who have finally returned home.

#Mackey documented his journey via his Youtube channel as the benefit of one of a series of repatriation flights arranged by the Government of the Bahamas. “It was an amazing experience, and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone involved in making this a possibility. I’m so happy to be home with my family and my sisters right now,” he said. “When we got home we were confronted by these nurses and had to sign papers saying that we will be quarantined for 14 days. We also had to sign up for an app that will track our location so if we leave the house it tells the authorities our location. Right now I’m in quarantine for 14 days, but I’m happy to be home just to spend time with my family.”

#Mackey was based in Salamanca, Spain, and plays for Aquisima Carbajosa of the Liga Española de Baloncesto Aficionado, commonly known as Liga EBA. He was named the EBA’s Eurobasket Player of the Year, Import Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and was an All-EBA 1st Team selection. He led the club with 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

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#He travelled from Madrid to London on a British Airways flight chartered by the Cayman Islands government connected from London to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. The Bahamian government then coordinated with the Turks and Caicos government to run a connecting Bahamasair flight to Nassau. Bookings for the special humanitarian flight were made available through the Bahamian High Commission in London.

#“COVID-19 has meant that families have found themselves kept apart due to border closures, travel restrictions, and lack of commercial air traffic routes,” according to a press release from the British High Commission. ‘With an ocean between them, those Bahamian nationals and residents in the United Kingdom and Europe have had a particularly tough waiting period to be united with their loved ones.”

#Mackey made his pro debut last October with 20 points and nine rebounds against La Antigua. He posted four double doubles on the season highlighted by 31 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in a November matchup against Chatanda.

#A season of milestones for Mackey also included his debut as a member of the Bahamas senior men’s national team in the latest window of FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers.