MAHERSHAL Simonet, a professional basketball player of Bahamian descent who has played in a number of countries overseas, is in town to get acquainted with his roots.

While here, Simonet is also taking advantage of his contacts to help as many potential Bahamian high school players get off to school and assist those who are interested in playing overseas.

“I don’t know the full connection, but I’m told that I have some family here,” Simonet said. “So I’m really looking to see who they are. This is such a beautiful island and I’m just so glad to be here. I hope I can make a contribution to the community.”

Simonet, 31, is a journeyman who has played in Thailand, Croatia, China, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong after he didn’t make the cut to play on a team in the National Basketball Association.

In his tryouts for various NBA teams, Simonet said he got the opportunity to play against such players as Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, James Harden and Trevor Ariza of the Houston Rockets, Gabe Pruitt of the Boston Celtics, Dorell Wright, formerly of the Miami Heat, and Eugene ‘Pooh’ Jeter of the Sacramento Kings.

“Competing against these guys made me who I am today,” Simonet said.

“We all went out there to try and provide for our families. So I had to learn to appreciate everything that I got in life.”

Growing up in the streets of Los Angeles with his parents and his older sister, Simonet said he eventually had to struggle on his own. His parents had split up and eventually, after his mother died, his father re-married.

He has been estranged from his immediate family, but is still closely connected to his 92-year-old grandmother, whom he communicates with by phone just about every day.

Since completing his recent sting in China where he met his girlfriend, Simonet got the opportunity to travel here to the Bahamas.

So far, he’s met with Bahamas Basketball Federation first vice president Mario Bowleg, the head coach of the men’s national basketball teams, as well as Shonel Ferguson, the Member of Parliament for Fox Hill and Dr Jacinta Higgs, principal of Akhepran International Academy on Bernard Road.

“I’ve had the chance to do some stuff in Fox Hill and I’m really amazed by the talent that I see there,” Simonet said. “I am going to continue to work in the community, but I am willing to assist wherever I can in any other community. I just want to reach out and touch as many lives as I can. I want to be able to help those players who have the ability to play in college and overseas. I have some contacts having played in college and overseas and I’m willing to use them to help the people of the Bahamas.”

A graduate of Jarvis Christian College with a bachelor’s degree in teaching, Simonet said he had a special friend, Gerald Bell, who helped him no matter what country, city or state he was in. “Gerald always came through and made sure I was ok,” Simonet recalled. “I love him truly like a father. He has been a role model for me. It’s hard to meet people like that in life and I thank him for showing me the way true friends should be.”

Now that he’s in the Bahamas, Simonet said he wants to reach out and touch the lives of some Bahamians and show the kind of support he got from Bell to those in need.

He noted that interested persons can contact Bowleg, Ferguson or Dr Higgs if they are interested in him lending his expertise.

“This is such a beautiful place and I love to one say settle down here,” he said. “But as long as I am here, I am willing to assist in whatever way I can to make the life better for some deserving Bahamians.”