Annabella Seaga-Mian Finds Purpose in a Son’s Passion, a Father’s Vision and a Nation’s Basketball Dream
As the Thompson twins—Amen and Ausar—engaged reporters, posed for photos, and shared their dreams of one day representing Jamaica in international basketball, a quiet but powerful presence stood just beyond the cameras. Annabella Seaga-Mian, daughter of the late Prime Minister Edward Seaga, watched it all unfold with emotion in her voice and history in her heart.
“This,” she said, gesturing to the hopeful buzz surrounding the brothers’ visit to initiate their Jamaican citizenship process, “this is what my father always dreamed of—but never got to finish.”
It was during Sunday’s meet-and-greet at the S Hotel in Kingston that Annabella spoke about her unexpected journey into the heart of Jamaica Basketball—one that began not with politics, but with her teenage son, Gabriel, and a summer volunteer session at a local basketball clinic.
“I bring the kids home to Jamaica at least once a year,” recalled Anabella, a thriving realtor in Florida. “One summer, Gabriel wanted to volunteer. He loves coaching, and he ended up helping out at Coach Rick Turner’s clinic at the arena, working with hundreds of kids. That connection lit the spark.”
A few months later, Turner reached out with a simple but urgent request: help track down a delayed citizenship application for an NBA player of Jamaican heritage. The case had stalled for nearly two years. Annabella made a few calls, cleared up a clerical error—and just like that, Norman Powell, a key figure in Jamaica’s national team push, received his citizenship.
“That was the moment,” she said, “when I realised this could be something much bigger.”
And it has become much bigger.
From building connections with Cedella Marley—whose own son (Saiyan) shares Gabriel’s passion for the game—to rallying support for passport processing among dozens of Jamaican-descended NBA athletes, Annabella has found herself at the heart of a grassroots-to-global movement to reshape the island’s basketball identity.
“I saw Cedella had built a court in Trench Town, and I called her. I said, ‘Look, both our sons love basketball. We need to do something.’ That’s how this started. If we could elevate what’s happening locally to the international level, we could put Jamaica on the basketball map.”
– Marlon Reid photo
Annabell (right) and her son Gabriel engage the Thompson family – Amen (left), Ausar, Maya and Troy Thompson, in conversation during the meet and greet at the S Hotel in Kingston on Sunday.
But even as she builds toward the future, memories of her father continue to shape the meaning of the work. “Last year, I came across an old interview with my dad,” she shared. “He said the one sport he regretted not developing was basketball—because kids in the hills didn’t have room for fields. But courts… they could build courts. He saw potential there long before anyone else did.”
She paused, her eyes welling slightly. “Now I have a son who’s 6’5”, who loves the game. And I’m helping grow the very sport my father wished he could have given more to. Life comes full circle.”
Sunday’s event with Amen and Ausar Thompson served as both a celebration and a reminder of what’s possible. The brothers are in Jamaica to begin their passport applications—essentially planting the first seeds of what could, one day, blossom into representing Team Jamaica. Current FIBA rules prevent players who obtain citizenship after the age of 16 from representing a national team. But there’s a potential caveat.
“If you get your citizenship late but can show that you’ve helped develop the sport in the country,” Annabella explained, “FIBA may make an exception. And based on what their dad, Troy Thompson, wants to do here, I know they’ll be developing the game in Jamaica.”
The road ahead is uncertain—but the foundation is set. Annabella remains a passionate advocate not just for the Thompsons’ eligibility, but for every Jamaican athlete abroad.
“We have over 20 NBA players of Jamaican heritage. That’s two national teams right there. If we can get them their citizenship and rally the support, this could be our moment. Not just one or two stars—an entire generation.”
And to young players in the U.S., Canada, or Europe, she offers a motherly, patriotic piece of advice: “If you have Jamaican roots, get your citizenship before you turn 16. Then there’s no issue. Then the door is wide open.”
As Sunday’s event wrapped and the Thompson twins thanked the crowd, Annabella stepped aside quietly. She had said what she came to say—but the impact of her words, her work, and her family legacy hung in the air like possibility itself.
“I get goosebumps just talking about it,” she said earlier. “This was my dad’s unfinished dream. And somehow, it’s become mine too.”
-Leighton Levy photo
Main photo – Annabella Seaga-Mian and her son Gabriel.
