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Bahamian basketball player Adam Johnson has made the jump to join other Bahamian players, who compete in various French leagues, when the new season resumes this fall.
Johnson is enrolled in the Fos Provence Basket Byers Academy and will play with Fos Provence in the NM3 league – the fifth division of basketball in France.
Facilitating this move was Raw Talent’s Jaraun ‘Kino’ Burrows who also plays in France. Burrows was also instrumental in bringing national team player Dominick Bridgewater to France.
“Adam is special,” Burrows said. “He has a calm demeanor and a positive attitude off the court but he has a very competitive spirit on the court. He is very resilient because after numerous troubles for visa to go to college he remained positive and kept working on his game and waited on an opportunity. I am very happy for Adam.”
Johnson was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield’s first local invitational in 2016. Johnson had 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists to help his Team Alpha take care of Team Elite, 94-93. For his MVP accolade, he received a $10,000 scholarship.
Burrows knows that Johnson has the attributes to play in France and he believes that his game will develop.
“Adam is a very long, athletic and versatile. He has a unique skillset. He can run the court, can shoot from the outside, play inside, finish above the rim and make huge above-the-rim defensive plays with his shot-blocking skills,” Burrows said. “I think he will bring intangibles to the NM3 league in France and use the opportunity to develop his game. He will learn how to use the European system and learn to hone other weaknesses in his game that will help him become a better professional.”
Johnson was instrumental in helping Jordan Prince William High School secure the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) senior boys basketball title in 2016 and again in 2017.
Burrows learnt Johnson’s story last year and welcomed him into his summer program. Johnson transitioned into the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) league for the defending champions Commonwealth Bank Giants who are undefeated this year. Burrows said he is thrilled that Johnson will have a chance to continue his career in Europe.
The forward was instrumental in helping the Giants secure an undefeated record so far this year. He currently leads the team in scoring at 19.8 points per game. On the glass, he has secured 7.9 rebounds per game. He averages 22.8 minutes per game through 16 games.
As long as he remains focused, disciplined, positive and continues to work hard, Burrows said Johnson can go far.
Over the past year, Johnson has worked with local coaches at Raw Talent like Jeffrey Henfield, Michael ‘Furley’ Bain and Quentin Demeritte.
Another Raw Talent athlete making the jump to Europe shows that the program is continuing to grow as they network with partners in The Bahamas, Europe and the United States of America to create opportunities for young Bahamian men and women to further their basketball careers abroad.
Burrows said Raw Talent is about helping to further grow and develop the game of basketball in The Bahamas. The organization works closely with the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) and other partners on the ground in The Bahamas, Europe and the USA to create training, development and professional opportunities for young men and women in The Bahamas and the entire Caribbean.
In his 10-plus years of playing professional basketball throughout Europe, Burrows said he has used his platform to build a network of contacts and partnerships. He has explored ways to help other talented and underprivileged young Bahamians to go abroad and further their development of their basketball skills in various academies.
This year, Burrows and his teams have been able to negotiate an academic component with their partners in Europe so that Raw Talent can offer educational opportunities to some of the younger elite Bahamian prospects. Burrows said he is excited going forward with the Raw Talent program as they continue to ascend to top-level development.