Ebanks’ Thunder wins championship in England

By Cayman Sports Buzz
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Updated: 29 April 2018

Ebanks (right) celebrates with teammates earlier in the playoffs.

Worthing Thunder are the National Basketball League (NBL) Division 1 playoff champions after defeating Hemel Storm 67-57 for the sport’s top prize in the British league. Playing a big role in the Thunder’s success this season was Cayman Islands national player Jorge Ebanks.

Playing at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester on 29 April, it was a tough contest in the playoff finals. In the end, Thunder saw off a strong challenge from their rivals to hoist the championship.

Marquis Mathis, who scored 26 points in the game, was named Most Valuable Player.

Ebanks, a starting guard, did not have the best shooting night going 1 for 7 from the floor for four points. Despite that, he impacted the game in different ways, including grabbing eight rebounds, dished six assists and had four steals.

Ebanks (#7) was an important piece to the Thunder this season.

Speaking in a video posted to the team’s Facebook page shortly after the game, the 32-year-old described it as “the best feeling in the world” to be NBL Division 1 champions.

“We stuck through a lot this season. We had a lot of ups and downs but we stuck together and we got it done. I’m so happy,” Ebanks said. “It was a tough game. We expected that from them. It went down to the wire but we held on and we played together like a team and we came out with the victory.”

Ebanks has enjoyed success on the court over the past 12 months, including leading the Cayman Islands national men’s team to the gold medal at the Island Games in Gotland, Sweden last June.