Bahamian National Basketball Association (NBA) player Kai Jones has spent a good chunk of his offseason giving back to the youth in The Bahamas.
He took time out of his regular schedule to host the inaugural 1UP Basketball Cup Tournament at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium over the weekend.
The two-day affair catered to junior basketball players, giving them an opportunity to showcase their skills while gaining exposure to a wider international audience.
Jones, who last played for the Dallas Mavericks, spoke about what it means to return home and give back to young men who are in a position he once was in.
“This means everything to me,” he said. “The 1UP Basketball Cup Tournament is so amazing. It is amazing to see these guys in their uniforms playing great basketball, competing at a high level. The practice was so great last night. They were playing at a high level in there, and it was great to see their work ethic. We went from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and we really put the power in the players. We allowed them to earn their spot. We are super excited. God has blessed us to be able to come together and have a tournament like this. I am so blessed to be able to give back. I am just happy to help.”
On opening day, on Friday night, players had to showcase their basketball skills, vying for spots on the various teams selected for the tournament on Saturday. They engaged in one-on-one play, five-on-fives, and participated in a draft process before the big dance on Saturday.
The idea for the inaugural tournament came to life thanks to Jones’ mentorship at the 2025 Mirror Mirror Mentorship, Sports Arts & Technology Programme’s 2025 Survival Week in August.
The NBA player was asked by one of his mentees to put together a tournament so that local players could get some reps in.
Team Infinity went head-to-head with Team Goats in the final matchup for the championship hardware.
Team Goats went on to emerge victorious, 62-47, at the final buzzer.
Team Infinity held a 31-23 advantage at halftime.
Team Goats eventually pulled ahead, 43-41, in the third quarter, and they extended their lead to 11, going up 54-43 at the 3:09 mark of the fourth quarter. The rest was history.
Jones intends to keep up with the tournament and other developmental projects in the future.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “I want to do events like this as much as possible. I want to go into one-on-one tournaments, two-on-two tournaments, strictly three-point shootouts, and also have camps and clinics where kids can get an opportunity and if they want to keep growing they can come train and get some work in here… I want everybody to know these guys.”
He emphasized the need to give young players opportunities not only in basketball but through basketball as well.
“There are so many things that you can get out of basketball from an educational standpoint, just to see the world and travel,” he said. “The NBA is the goal I know for a lot of these guys, but that is not the only thing that this brings — this brings them sponsorship as a brand and as a person. Some of these kids may want to do music, they may want to get into acting, but this is a way for them to keep building a name for themselves. I am super proud of the guys… this is just the beginning.”
Jones last suited up for the Dallas Mavericks last season. The former NBA first-rounder averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 67.1 percent from the field. He is now a free agent.