‘They Can’t Dictate That’: Freeland Rejects Player Pressure Over National Coach

Michael Freeland has rejected suggestions that dissatisfaction with the national basketball coach should determine who leads Antigua and Barbuda’s team, arguing that players must show their commitment through attendance and performance.

The Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association president George Hughes addressed the issue during Thursday’s Jojo Sports Show on Observer Radio, after the host raised reports that some players were unhappy with the coach.

“They can’t dictate that,” Freeland said of players determining the coaching appointment.

Freeland said players had been given an opportunity to explain their concerns at a meeting attended by the coaching and management teams. According to him, none of those present said they could not play under the coach.
He said two players did raise concerns about the amount of playing time they received during the team’s campaign in Guyana.
Freeland’s response was that the team needed to focus on the next stage, with players using practice to demonstrate that they deserved greater opportunities.
“If you think your value is more than what you think it is, then show it,” he said.
Defending the coaching staff’s record, Freeland pointed to the team’s recovery after an opening defeat in Guyana and its subsequent victories, which secured qualification.
He acknowledged that coaches could make mistakes and said the coach had listened to the complaints about minutes.
However, he questioned whether changing the head coach would have resolved the attendance problems that undermined preparations for the next round.
A caller challenged that position, suggesting that another local coach should have been given the opportunity to lead the team. Freeland maintained that the association already had local coaches involved and that a different appointment offered no guarantee of stronger player commitment.
“This is who the coach of the national team is. Respect that,” he said.
The exchange highlighted a dispute over coaching preferences, playing time and the responsibilities of national players. Freeland’s account of the players’ concerns was not accompanied by their responses during the interview.