By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It’s very rare that you get to see a father play against his son. It’s even more rare when one of them is coached by another father-son combination.

This scenario played out Wednesday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium as the New Providence Basketball Association resumed its 2016 regular season after taking a break for the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for high school senior boys.

In their match-up, Michael Bain Jr led the Commonwealth Bank Giants to an impressive 122-81 victory over the Everybody Wins Legends and Bain Sr. The Giants, who improved to 11-1 to top the John Archer Division and post the best win-loss record in the league, is being coached by the father-son tandem of Perry Thompson Sr and Jr.

The loss dropped the Legends to 3-5 near the bottom of the Vince Ferguson Division at 3-5 for 12th place out of a total field of 14 teams.

The game was one of two played on Thursday. The other game saw the Real Deal Shockers nip the Pyramid Food Rockets 87-83.

While Bain Jr came up with a game high 20 points with nine assists and seven rebounds in his starting role for Commonwealth Bank in 21 minutes and 53 seconds, his father came off the bench and in 13:10, he produced four points with three rebounds for Everybody Wins.

“From the time Eugene (Bain, NPBA president) took over the league, we were trying to get an over 40 team to play in the league,” Bain Sr said. “The whole team for me in playing was I wanted to get a chance to play against my son after watching him play over the years. I think if I had one more against him, that would highlight my season.

“And with Perry (Sr) there, it was even more special because Perry brought both of us up in the league and now his son is coaching the Giants with him and my son is playing for them. It’s more like a father thing and not just basketball. He’s taught us that after basketball, you still have to have a life. So it was good to have that family element out there.”

Bain Sr, who was one of the more talented point guards during the height of his career, said his only wish was that he could have had more athleticism to compete against his son. He was so impressed with what he saw that he gave his son an A-plus grade, but he declined to rate his own performance.

“I know he was in shape because he stays working out, but I just wanted to be there with him,” Bain Sr said. “I couldn’t stay with him, but it was good just to get the exposure against him. He had surgery on his knee and he worked himself back in great shape, so it’s good to see how he’s responded 10 times better.

“Some people say he can’t shoot the ball like me, but at one point he knocked down about five big shots in a row with ease. So the amount of things he could do, I could never do. The game has elevated around him right now and he’s making the best of it. So I’m very impressed. I can’t ask for more. Even when I couldn’t go anymore, it was just fun for me sitting and watching him play.”

With all of their family members out to support the Bains, the father says he can now officially retire although he had quit about 10-12 years ago after winning his last championship title with the Giants under coach Thompson Sr.

While Bain Jr led the Giants attack, shooting 9-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 from the three-point arch, Tehran Cox had 16 points, Jeffery Henfield came off the bench and contributed 16 points with five assists, Samuel Johnson had 14 points, six rebounds and three steals, Quentin Demeritte had 12 points and three rebounds, David Taylor had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds and Dancel Knowles added nine points and three rebounds.

As the coach of the two Bains, Thompson Sr said he thought it was a very rare opportunity to see the scenario play out the way it did in the game.

“This is something that you really don’t get to see, so I’m happy that it happened for us all,” said Thompson of his son. “He has a very good grasp of basketball. He’s very knowledgeable. He’s really been taking this team over from last year.

“In terms of preparation and scouting, he’s done a very excellent job of getting the team prepared. I’ve been very impressed with what he’s been doing. He doesn’t like the limelight, but he has the team performing at a very high level.”

Thompson, who started coaching more than 20 years ago after he stopped playing because of an injury and was joined by his son on the sidelines after he too had his playing days cut short because of an injury after playing for St Augustine’s College, the University of Science and Arts at Oklahoma, the Rockets, under the late Godfrey McQuay and eventually with the Giants.

On their way to their victory, the Giants opened a 25-15 first quarter lead that they extended to 54-34 at the half. By the time they finished the third quarter, Commonwealth Bank had deposited a 90-57 advantage on the scoreboard. They used another 32-24 spurt in the fourth to finish off the Legends.

Everybody Wins got a game high 23 points with eight rebounds from Corey Walkes in 32:27 minutes, shooting 9-for-20 from the field and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. Lorenzo Carter had 21 points and five rebounds, Anthony Whylly had 12 points and nine rebounds and Nipsy Jones added six points.

The NPBA is scheduled to be back in action with the following games:

Tonight

7:30pm - Island Game Pros vs Pirates

9pm - Double R Services Limited Cleaners vs Mr Ship It Freight Regulators

Saturday

7:30pm - Athletico Bahamas vs Mail Boat Cybots

9pm - College of the Bahamas Caribs vs Elites Basketball Club