Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert - ap

Ajani Williams, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA), said his administration would be moving swiftly to reacquire the services of National Basketball Association (NBA) player Roy Hibbert to the national team.

Hibbert, who represents the Indiana Pacers in the NBA, was overlooked for the United States Basketball team that will be participating in this month's Olympics Games in London.

Williams told Star Sports in an interview yesterday, that his association will be providing Hibbert with the opportunity to represent Jamaica at next year's FIBA Americas Championships against the likes of Canada, USA and Argentina.

"I think that we have a pretty good shot of getting him back," said Williams. "I don't know how many players that would like to play their entire career and not represent their country because obviously every player wants to do it."

"The United States didn't do it now and it is highly unlikely that they would do it in the future," Williams said.

"I think that we are going to make a go at him now that we are on a higher level like Argentina, USA and Canada," said Williams. "I also think now that he has gotten his NBA contract behind him and the USA has not expressed an interest, have put us in a great position to get him back," he said.

become eligible

Hibbert, who last represented Jamaica in the Centro Basketball Tournament in the Dominican Republic in 2010, had requested a release from JaBA in order to become eligible to play for the USA at the Olympic Games.

"We called him before we went to Puerto Rico for the Centro Basketball Tournament and we told him that we love him and the doors are always open to him," the JaBA boss said. "We told him don't feel like the doors are closed because of the initial request by his agent and himself and he was very grateful for that."

first medal

Continuing Williams added: "We have to make sure that we have the resources and the facilities and the infrastructure to wow him back, and all of us are going to do our best to get him back."

The Jamaicans secured their the first medal at the Centro Championships when they defeated Panama 78-54 to capture bronze in Puerto Rico.

The 7ft 2in, 278-pound Hibbert, who emerged as one of the top centres in the NBA last season, is on the verge of signing a four-year, $58 million deal with the Pacers. Hibbert averaged 12 points and eight rebounds during the regular season.

Meanwhile, centre Jerome Jordan, who represented Jamaica at the Centro Basketball Tournament last month, has been traded by the New York Knicks to the Houston Rockets.

Jordan played in 21 games with New York last season, posting 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in just over five minutes per game. He was selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2010 draft.