US-born Basketballer Wants to Represent T&T

Born in America, basketballer Jamal Pollydore is also the holder of a Trinidad and Tobago passport and hopes to represent the red, white and black some day. The Brooklyn raised Combo Guard has just signed his first professional contract and will play in the Portuguese Division 2 this upcoming season with Galitos Barreiro.

The twenty-six year old didn’t have much of a High School career as he bounced around to a few different high schools in his time. He eventually got accepted to a Junior College, Niagra Community College, where he had his breakout season in his sophomore year. The Guard was averaging 20 points per game and had a field goal percentage of 50%, and over 40 percent from behind the arch. After winning honours such as player of the year, Pollydore received several Division 2 offers and low division one offers, which he eventually selected HBCU Atlanta Clark University. Shorty after an administrative change in Atlanta, he switched to Glenville State College.

He received a few pro offers after graduating from college but they weren’t as lucrative as he expected so he continued to work out until better came. Better took a while to come though, as Covid-19 showed up first and put off things further for Pollydore but he stuck to his guns and kept training. Recently, he was contacted about Galitos’ interest in him and he happily decided to go that route.

With his family hailing from Arima, Trinidad, he wants to play for Trinidad and Tobago national basketball team and help them qualify for the FIBA play. “I don’t know how it works, but I want to play for the Trinidad (and Tobago) National team and help us qualify for the FIBA play. I want everybody who’s playing in the US to come Trinidad, if they can, have a great team and let’s beat out all the other countries.” Pollydore explained to T&T Sport Diary his goals for joining T&T basketball team.