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Keenan Jourdan – he may be the national basketball team’s 6 foot 8 inches tall secret weapon. The 35 year old who has been playing professional basketball in Puerto Rico arrived in Belize for the first time in his entire life over the weekend and what a homecoming it was. Keenan was born in Los Angeles but his mother is a Belizean. But he had never visited Belize before and so it was his first time meeting most of his immediate family – meaning siblings he’d never met. It is a moment his proud sister Michelle Swasey waited 35 years for, a reunion which almost brought her to tears. We spoke to the long distance brother and sister at practice this afternoon.

Keenan Jourdan, National Team
“It feels great to have an opportunity to come down here and see my home country, my mother talked about it a lot. I get to see my sister for the first time, my brothers, and I have so much family down here it is really an honour and a pleasure.”

Michelle Swasey, Sister
“It feels good meeting for the first time. We talked on the phone, he writes me letters, I have pictures of him when he was smaller and it feels so good. When I saw him Sunday when he came in I didn’t know if I should cry, fly, jump – I didn’t know what to do. I was so happy to meet my brother for the first time.”

Keith Swift,
“So the last time you saw him was when he was a baby.”

Michelle Swasey,
“He was like about seven or eight years old on a picture. That’s the last”

Keith Swift,
“Keenan what have you been up to?”

Keenan Jourdan,
“Well I mean I’ve been playing professional ball for the last eleven to twelve years. I graduated from Boston College.”

Keith Swift,
“Why did you decide to come and play for Belize?”

Keenan Jourdan,
“I knew this would probably be my last opportunity because I am planning on playing another one or two years so the opportunity came. Mr. Paul Thompson from the Federation, he called me up and asked me if I was interested and I said definitely. And so we have been talking for the last two months and we finally worked everything out so now I am here.”

Keith Swift,
“I know you’ve watched him practice a couple times. What do you think?”

Michelle Swasey,
“Well I know he could play basketball because my mom used to tell me a lot about him playing basketball and from what I see, I know he can do I and I know he will bring something good to the Belize team.”

Keith Swift,
“Now you’ve been here since the weekend, you’ve been practicing with the team. What do you think of the team?”

Keenan Jourdan,
“We have a lot of good young ball players. We play hard, we want to be more of a up-tempo team. We’ve got great guards with Milt and Marlon Garnett and Alex Carcamo, who is a great ball player and real athletic, and I just want to be able to fit in and help as much as I possibly can.

I know they were saying that you know, wanting more local players but I think that we should put the best team out there that we can even though I wasn’t born here. I have Belize in my blood and I have a lot of family down here and I am looking forward to representing Belize, having Belize across my chest, representing the country in the tournament in Cancun.”

Keith Swift,
“Tonight I know you have a family reunion. Are you looking forward to that?”

Keenan Jourdan,
“Oh there couldn’t be nothing better in my life to happen right now than to see all my family together, as much of us that can be here, and I am looking forward to it after practice.”

The Basketball Federation is still awaiting the arrival of 7 footer Sonny Watson.