Back in November, David Jean-Baptiste received an email that he considered spam. He nearly deleted it.
He’s glad he didn’t.
Photo by Bryant Hawkins / University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s David Jean-Baptiste (3) takes a shot against UT Martin’s Terrence Parker (5) on Saturday. The Chattanooga Mocs took on the UT Martin Skyhawks at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn. on Saturday Dec. 2, 2017.The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga guard, who will be entering his third year at the school and second as an active member of the basketball team, has been given an opportunity to help resurrect the Haitian national team, which will be participating in the Caribbean Cup.
Although he was born in Miami, both of Jean-Baptiste’s parents are of Haitian descent, which makes him eligible for the team.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I’m a first-generation American citizen with more than half of my family born in Haiti. Knowing the past tragedies that happened there, being able to represent them on the basketball court, it just means too much to have that jersey with the country across my chest.”