Grand Bahama saw to it that the final leg of 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones’ victory tour would go down in the history books as one to remember with a motorcade and two billboard unveilings.
Jones’ return home following the New York Liberty’s 2024 Championship win in the Women’s National Basketball Association (NBA) and being named the 2024 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) was highlighted with three days of festivities beginning with her arrival on Thursday, November 14.
The motorcade on Saturday, November 16 took off from the Grand Bahama Sports Complex through the streets of Grand Bahama and made its first stop at the entrance to the settlement of Eight Mile Rock where the first billboard unveiling honouring Jones was made.
The second unveiling ceremony took place in Holmes Rock, just opposite the street where Jones grew up.
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Hon. Mario Bowleg, who travelled to Grand Bahama to celebrate with the MVP in her hometown, extended congratulations to Jones on behalf of his ministry and, by extension, the Government of The Bahamas and assured her that the celebration had only just begun.
“We want to be here to celebrate with you where it all began in Holmes Rock and so we say all the best in your future endeavors as we have much more to do to celebrate with you when you get to Nassau this afternoon,” he said.
Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Grand Bahama and Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini Kingsley Smith expressed how proud they were of the now WNBA icon, who is a daughter of the soil and has put Holmes Rock on the world stage.
An elated Jones noted that she was overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and conveyed her gratitude to her parents, who were on hand for the occasion, for the sacrifices they made and affording her the opportunity to relocate to the United States and pursue her basketball dreams.
“I’d just like to say thank you to everybody that’s out here today. Obviously, this is where it all began, from humble beginnings, literally right through that corner was where I lived. I grew up on that street until I moved over to the US,” she said.
“I’m just really thankful to be here obviously and to be back here celebrating with everybody. Let’s just have a good time and continue to celebrate.”
Following the ceremonies, Jones and her team mates treated the youngsters in the West Grand Bahama community to a basketball clinic at the Eight Mile Rock High School Gymnasium before travelling to New Providence that evening for celebrations there, which includes a reception, dinner at Baha Mar Resort, and a courtesy call on Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis and Governor-General, Her Excellency Dame Cynthia Pratt.
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