By James Sablan
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
BUILDING upon the momentum generated by NMI’s historic performance at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation aims to continue that success with the official appointment of Preston Basa and Marlene Lumabi as head coaches for the 3×3 program for the 2026–2027 cycle.
The selection of Basa and Lumabi signals the Federation’s confidence in the pair’s ability to guide the NMI on the international stage, with eyes firmly fixed on the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti.
Bringing over a decade of coaching experience across high school, club, and CNMI levels, Basa is well-regarded for his focus on team operations and athlete development. His background includes serving as a team manager and head coach for various CNMI squads, including roles in previous Micronesian and Mini Pacific Games.
An accomplished coach with deep roots in the local basketball community, Lumabi has gained international recognition for her commitment to the sport. She was selected for the prestigious FIBA Europe Coaching Certificate, a program dedicated to developing elite youth basketball coaches globally. Lumabi also received a Marty Handson Program scholarship and served as head coach of the NMI 3×3 U23 Women’s Team, which won bronze at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau.
“This decision reflects NMIBF’s confidence in their leadership and expertise, following their instrumental role in our recent success at the 2025 Mini Pacific Games in Palau, where our women’s team secured 3rd place and men’s team placed 4th,” stated NMIBF President James Lee in an email. “Their dedication and efforts have been key to developing competitive CNMI squads for our 3×3 program, and we look forward to their continued success,” he added.
In tandem with the coaching announcement, the NMIBF has scheduled a pivotal 3×3 tournament on April 16, 2026. This event will serve as a critical scouting platform for Basa and Lumabi to identify top-tier talent for the 2026–2027 program.
The tournament will feature an Open Division — the primary scouting event for the head coaches — and U23 to U16 divisions, which will serve as a qualifier for the upcoming Marianas Games. Top teams in these divisions will earn the honor of representing Team Saipan.
The Federation encourages all interested athletes to participate in this event as NMI looks to cement its place in the Pacific 3×3 basketball landscape. For registration and inquiries, contact the NMIBF at [email protected]/.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
