KINGSTON, Jamaica — A new note is rising from the Morgan family—and this time it isn’t reggae. Jelanie Morgan, the 6-foot-4 sharpshooter and son of legendary vocalist Gramps Morgan, has set his sights on elevating Jamaica’s presence in international basketball while amplifying the island’s cultural voice.
Currently a junior guard at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Morgan returned home earlier this month for closed-door workouts with the senior national squad at the National Stadium (July 5-6). Two intense days of evaluations, rapid-fire shooting drills, and full-court scrimmages left coaches talking about his fluid perimeter game and unflinching composure.
“For years I imagined pulling on that black-green-gold jersey,” Morgan said after practice. “Now I’m finally battling for it. Surreal doesn’t even cover it.”
Yet his ambitions stretch beyond the final buzzer. Morgan treats basketball as a microphone—one that broadcasts discipline, heritage, and possibility to young Jamaicans. Between summer training sessions he mentors high-school prospects, emphasizes academic grit, and reminds them that world-class dreams can germinate on Caribbean soil.
“Sports connect communities,” he noted. “If kids see me crack the global ranks, they’ll know they can, too—whether that’s hoops, science, or music.”
It’s a philosophy rooted in family precedent: the Morgans have long blended excellence with national pride on concert stages worldwide. Jelanie now aims to echo that legacy on hardwood floors, adding fresh verses of athletic achievement to Jamaica’s cultural songbook.
With college season looming and national-team decisions ahead, Morgan’s calendar is packed. His mission, however, remains simple—carry Jamaica’s colors into arenas from Boston to Berlin, proving that the island’s stories soar just as high above the rim as they do atop the charts.
