Even before he found himself on the cusp of attaining his Filipino citizenship, Ange Kouame already understood the sheer gravity of the decision by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to pin most of their hopes on him over anyone else.
That's why he's keen on making the federation's big, long-term plans a reality by trying to live up to lofty expectations and continuously pursuing growth. On top of his agenda: being an elite player that puts him in the same breath as that of PBA star imports Justin Brownlee and Chris McCullough.
"On my side, I know my work, I know what I'm getting to, I know how the learning process is gonna be for me even if it's hard. I'm sure I can be in the same caliber as those guys," he said Thursday on The Game on ONE News. "I'm not really worried about whatever is going to happen, but I'm really, really thankful and super blessed that the SBP chose me as a naturalized player."
The center from Ivory Coast is a step closer after developments on Wednesday, when the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights led by Sen. Richard Gordon approved the bill that seeks to grant Filipino citizenships to him and Spanish footballer Bienvenido Marañon.
This progress in is in stark contrast to that Brownlee and McCullough, whose respective processes are seemingly moving at a snail's pace.
Kouame perfectly fits the timeline that SBP has laid out for Philippine basketball and its young stars. At 23, he's three years younger than McCullough and nine younger than Brownlee. That's primarily why most of the focus of involved parties are on Kouame -- including Kiefer Ravena, who at 27 is already the elder statesman of the young Gilas Pilipinas core.
"That's why I'm focused on Ange -- I know he's going to be part of the future plans of the national team," Ravena said Saturday on the Power & Play radio show hosted by former PBA commissioner Noli Eala.
"He's going to be a good addition to the team, especially since we don't actually have a Filipino who's 6'11", very agile, can play from the outside and the inside. And Ange is young -- the future lineup you want to see with Ange, with Kai (Sotto), with AJ Edu, those guys will really fill out the frontcourt. They're huge," Ravena continued.
Kouame began going through the process early in 2020, when the SBP lobbied for him to be a naturalized citizen by filing House Bill No. 5951. For the two-time UAAP champion, what normally is a life-changing decision for most people felt like a no-brainer for him.
"It wasn't that tough because I've been thinking about since the end of the first (UAAP) season when they asked me if I was willing to go through the process of being a Filipino," he shared. "I actually had a conversation with my mother, and she was worried about the fact that I might lose my Ivorian citizenship. But when she found out that I can keep both citizenships, she was fine with it."
"I really like the fact that I was chosen. I feel blessed about it. I'll keep moving forward."
If he breezes past a couple more hurdles in the Senate, there's a small chance that Kouame can man the middle for the Gilas lineup that will see action in the third and final window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers sometime next month.
That also means Kouame can join the Philippine contingent that will vie for an Olympic ticket in the qualifying tournament set in Serbia from June 29 to July 4.
"I hope it's a done deal because it's going to be huge when he's able to join the team by June in the Olympic Qualifiers," said Ravena.
FIBA on Friday tapped the Philippines to replace New Zealand in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) after the Tall Blacks withdrew. Only one team from the Serbia tournament can book a slot in Tokyo, and Gilas will be going up against the hosts and Dominican Republic in Group A. In Group B are Puerto Rico, Italy and Senegal.
"We will be coordinating with the PBA to plot our plans moving forward and we're hopeful that Ange Kouame's naturalization will be signed into law by then," SBP president Al Panilio said Friday.
The Philippines last competed in the OQT last 2016, when it hosted France, New Zealand, Canada, Turkey, and Senegal.
"It's going to be worth it. But, again, we have to be real with how the other countries are playing. We're grouped with Serbia and the Dominican Republic. It's going to take a lot of preparation to win against those teams," said Ravena.
"Whoever gets called, it's better to start as soon as possible. We have to take this blessing as an opportunity. We weren't able to make it in the first place, but we were still able to get this chance. We need to grab this. Whether we make it or not, at least we've all prepared for this. I think it's a good step forward -- moving into the bigger goal of hosting the 2023 World Cup. That's the mindset we should have."