LIBREVILLE (Gabon) - Chris Silva has had to wait a decade to suit up for Gabon. He described the opportunity to play in the African continent as a "new experience".
Silva, who has played most of his career overseas, was named in the Gabon squad to compete in the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers (22-24 November) in Dakar, Senegal, where his country has been drawn in Group C alongside Cameroon, Senegal and Rwanda.
Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to represent the country. I have always wanted to put that jersey on. I am excited - Chris Silva
Since leaving the continent in his teens to pursue a basketball career, the 28-year-old has spent over a decade away from home, honing his game in America, where he attended school and college.
He would reach the pinnacle when he became the second player from Gabon to play in the NBA, where he played for four years. The early stages of his pro career saw him bounce between the NBA (Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks) and the G-League, and after a season in Puerto Rico, he now calls Israel home.
In an interview FIBA.Basketball Silva expressed his delight at finally having the opportunity to wear the Gabon vest and the overseas experience.
"The last time I played (in Africa), I was still a kid. So this (AfroBasket Qualifiers) is going to be a new experience," said the former Miami Heat player. "Playing for my country makes it a lot better. I am feeling a lot of excitement... I can't wait.
"A lot of things are going through my mind. One is knowing that I have to play well. The other is making a good impression and being impactful for the team."
The 2.03m (6ft 8in) power forward could have worn his country's colours in the 2015 AfroBasket, but he explained that he had to pass up on that opportunity as he had to start college.
"I had just graduated from high school and as an international student, you have no time off. Right after high school, I had to report to my college (University of South Carolina) and start summer school. It was a dream of mine to play in college, so unfortunately I did not have time," said the former South Carolina Gamecocks player.
Ahead of the qualifiers in Dakar, Silva says getting the call-up to represent Gabon fulfils a childhood dream.
"It's a great honour... Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to represent the country. I have always wanted to put that jersey on. I am excited. I can't wait to meet up with guys, to compete and leave it all on the floor," said Silva.
Gabon will open their campaign against neighbours Cameroon on Friday, 22 November, and Silva looks forward to the coming match-ups.
"They are really good teams. We hope to come out on top... That is the mentality. If we can win all the games, that will be amazing, but if we can do enough to qualify, it will be huge for us too," said Silva.
The new call-up had one message for his teammates leading up to the qualifying tournament. "We have to go out there and compete. As we do that, the rest will be taken care of. So let's get out there and compete and have fun," said Silva.
Switching focus to his time in the NBA, Silva followed Stephen Lasme's footsteps by making it to the big league. Silva says the accomplished former player, Lasme, is a mentor.
"It's a great honour. You always want your name mentioned alongside someone like Stephen. I will not say I am up there with him because he has accomplished a lot. He was a role model for me when I was growing up," said Silva. I communicate with him as well. He'll give me pointers to elevate my game, so I have taken pages from his book."
Finally, Silva, who plays for Israeli club Bnei Herzliya, still harbours NBA dreams. "I want to be the best player I can be. I have goals of returning to the NBA. I want to push the bar high for Gabonese basketball players," concluded Silva.
By showing up for the Gabon national team, Silva is an inspiration for upcoming players, and ahead of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers, he'll surely be a leader to follow for the Central African nation.
FIBA