By Kevin Scott December 5, 2023
GREAT FALLS, Mont., – The Great Falls Electric professional basketball team is playing their first season in The Basketball League (TBL) for the 2024 season and is proud to announce the signing of another recruit to their roster.
Kareem Jamar, who played with the Big Sky Conference’s University of Montana Grizzlies men’s basketball team from 2010-2014, started 18 games as a freshman for head coach Wayne Tinkle’s squad is the newest addition to the Great Falls Electric roster in announcement made on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference at Street Burgers in Great Falls. The Venice, California native averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his first season.
As a sophomore (2011-12), he became one of the top Big Sky Conference players averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while helping the Grizzlies to an appearance at the NCAA Tournament. Jamar also made the All-Conference team during the 2011-12 season.
During his junior season in 2012-13, he helped lead the Grizzlies to 25 victories and a second appearance at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Kareem was also named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year as he averaged 14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and four assists each game.
The four-year hoops standout won two back-to-back Big Sky basketball championships and was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference First Team Selection while playing with the Grizzlies.
The 6’5” California hoops product, who led his high school basketball team (Westchester High School) to two state championships, played professionally for eight years in 15 countries after his college career ended. Kareem had stops in Greece (Kolossos Rodou), Cyprus (Omonia Nicosia), Austria (Kapfenberg Bulls), Israel (Elitzur Yavne), and Ukraine (Kharkivski Sokoly). He re-signed with the Bulls in 2021 in his most recent professional stint.
After retiring from playing professionally, Kareem returned to Montana and settled in Great Falls where he started the Prolific Basketball Academy for youth. Since the 2022-23 season, he is also serving as an assistant coach for the CMR High School girls’ basketball team.
“As the general manager of the new pro basketball team, I am so excited to have a player like Kareem (Jamar) playing for us,” said Electric team owner and general manager, Jim Keough. “He brings great leadership and is an outstanding player with a lot of professional experience in playing over in Europe for six years.”
As of right now, he plans on playing in all the home games for the Electric and playoffs and is still in talks to play the regular season road contests.
