Jamaica’s basketball player Norman Powell and his Miami Heat team have donated US$1m (J$160m) to the Hurricane Melissa relief effort for the island, a move welcomed by Paulton Gordon, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA).

Hurricane Melissa lashed the island a few days ago, causing damage worth billions of dollars, while the death toll continues to rise, currently sitting at 19.

“This is a catastrophic event and we will need assistance from the global community to recover,” Gordon told Our Today. “We are pleased that the sporting family has stepped up to provide well-needed support. Caribbean representation is a huge part of the NBA ecosystem with numerous players, administrators, agents and support staff involved. This commitment from the Miami Heat is timely and will certainly help to alleviate some of the immediate burden encountered by the passage of Hurricane Melissa,” Gordon reiterated.

The donation was made to Direct Relief in partnership with the Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation and Carnival Corporation & plc. Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organisation with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies

Including this latest donation supporting Jamaica, since 2013, the three organisations have donated almost US$17.2 million in total to support Direct Relief’s responses to the crisis in Ukraine, Hurricanes Helene, Milton, Ian, Dorian, Michael, Florence, Irma and Harvey, tornadoes in Kentucky and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Gordon has been instrumental in getting Powell and a number of Jamaica’s Diaspora players in the NBA to commit their allegiance to Jamaica as they attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The 32-year-old shooting guard scored 29 points, leading the Heat to a 115 -107 win over the New York Knicks, for whom Jalen Brunson top-scored with 37 points.

Powell started the season well and despite a groin injury, he is averaging 24 points, 7.3 rebounds, three assists and 2.0 steals per game, leading the Heat to a 3-2 record and sitting currently fourth in the Eastern table.

He was instrumental as the Jamaica basketball team qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers by finishing second in their pre-qualifying group in August 2025.

The team is now preparing for the next stage of qualification, which involves playing in a tough group (Pool B) against Canada, Puerto Rico, and The Bahamas.