DWAYNE ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts’ was considered the country’s top power forward, but his tenacious style of play was not the only reason he was well known in the sport of basketball in Guyana.
The Retrieve Raiders player was among several players who were fined and suspended by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) after a series of events transpired at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship last year in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
Roberts was a part of the team that finished fifth place at the CBC Championship which was Guyana’s best placing at the tournament since in the 1981 and 2003 tournaments they had finished third.
The GABF at the time contended that Roberts, along with former Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers shooting guard Rawle Marshall and Andrew Ifill, played leading roles in usurping the authority of management and refused to return any uniforms.
A fine of $80 000 plus one-year suspension was instituted on the trio and they were not allowed to participate in any tournament, clinic, or tour held or approved by the GABF or its members until the fine was fully paid and the uniforms were returned to the Federation in good condition or the GABF is compensated for the uniforms.
Shelroy Thomas, Akeem Kanhai and Ray Victor were each fined $20 000 for their involvement in the ‘BVI uprising’ while Ravens point guard Ryan Stephney was fined $30 000.
Colts centre Shane Webster, Ravens’ Ryan Gullen and overseas-based players Andre De Florimonte, Keron McKenzie and Gordon Klaiber were listed as players who refused to return any of the uniforms and were fined $40 000 each.
With the exception of Marshall and Ifill, all the players named have since paid their fines and returned the uniforms and are now active with their respective clubs.
Roberts was the last the locally based player to have reached the requirements given the GABF, in order for him to be reinstated with his club.
But the GABF said that at several meetings, including meeting with Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) and Retrieve Raiders Basketball Club, it was unanimously decided to reinstate Roberts to “play basketball”.
However, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) officer when contacted yesterday by Chronicle Sport said that he was unaware of the suspension being lifted and his fine being paid.
“I’m not aware of anything of the sort. I’m working and haven’t gotten a chance to see or hear anything,” Roberts said.
Nonetheless the former National player said “but if that’s the case, then it’s good to play competitively again.

NO SPIRIT TO PLAY
The always candid Roberts said that the long layoff from the game has killed his spirit; casting the blame on the GABF president Nigel Hinds, who he said ruled the game of basketball with a ‘dictatorship-like approach’.
“Hinds pretty much killed my spirit to play basketball right now. If I’m around a game playing, sure I’ll play, but I wouldn’t sacrifice any of my work-related time and family time to play ‘ball’ anymore. I don’t have that excitement anymore,” Roberts noted.
He added, “From the last CBC (2014), the way the GABF and Mr Hinds treated the players, my spirit to play ‘ball’ isn’t there anymore. I might probably assist the youths to develop their game but I don’t have any interest to play the game like before.”