AFTER completing his fourth season playing professional basketball in France, Kenny Isnord says there’s nothing like coming home for much-needed rest and relaxation with his family and friends.

On his return this year, the Bahamian men’s national basketball team brought along one of Europe’s top female basketball players, Maria Jespersen, to check out what it’s like living on the islands.

Isnord - a 25-year-old 6-foot, 6-inch power forward - is coming off his season in Spanish Tercera, a city near Madrid where he played for Perfumerias Avenida Xoborg Salamanca, the third league in Spain.

Having only lost five games this season, Isnord said they fell short of making the playoffs as only the top two advanced and they finished third.

Isnord, who was recruited to play in Europe through Bahamian Jaraun “Kino” Burrows’ Raw Talent Sports group, averaged about eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.

“It’s been an awesome journey visiting these places and every place is different, so you have to adjust your game,” said Isnord, who was one of five foreign players on the team. 

“But I’m enjoying it. When you go to Europe, you have to learn to play in a system and I think I have been able to do that this year in Spain, so I would say it’s been a really good season for me.’

One of those five foreign players on the team was fellow Bahamian Paul Hepburn, who played briefly with Isnord before Hepburn left to play with another team.

“It was solid. It was nice having somebody else from The Bahamas,’’ Isnord said. “The Spanish boys were doing their own thing, so it was good for us to spend some time together as Bahamians.”

Isnord said he’s just thrilled to be home and spending time with family and friends. He said he was delighted to be hospitable to Jespersen in hosting her in The Bahamas.

Jespersen, one of the top players from Denmark who played on their national team since she was 16, said after attending the University of South Florida, she had hoped she would have been selected in the Women’s National Basketball Association’s draft by the New York Liberty when she graduated in 2018.

But, instead, the Liberty passed up on the 6-0 forward and the 31-year-old decided to take her talents to the other part of the world, playing in Australia, Denmark, Spain, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

“The WNBA is a high level, very physical,” said Jespersen in comparing the two leagues. 

“In Europe, we swing the ball around more and try to find the open woman.

“I think the WNBA, like the NBA, is more skilled based where you break down your defender and go from there, while in Europe, it’s more read the defender off speed and then you go from there.”

While playing in Spain this year, Jespersen said she met Isnord and having been here before to play with USF in a tournament, she wanted to explore a little more of the island.

“I am getting to see the real Bahamas and not the touristic side,” she said. “It’s so much cooler being immersed into the culture and not just living in your super nice hotels. 

“I got to see so much of the beaches, went to Paradise Island, but I get to enjoy so much more of the island. So, I’m going to be spending my time practicing and enjoying the beaches and the sites around town.”

As for Isnord, Jespersen said The Bahamas has a very talented player who has survived some challenges in his life and is heading into the right direction.

“I have some high hopes for him,” she stated. “I believe in him a lot.”

Jespersen said she would have liked to have seen some of the women play but, in their absence, she enjoyed watching the talent on display during the ‘Peace on da Street’ Basketball Tournament that wrapped up at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium Sunday night.

Isnord said he will continue to remain “locked in” working out in the gym in preparation for his second appearance on the men’s national team as they play in the Americas Cup in August.

Hopefully, The Bahamas will prevail.