IVORIAN Kakou Ange Franck Williams Kouame is there for the long haul.
So said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) program director Tab Baldwin on why the federation chose Kouame over seasoned National Basketball Association (NBA) players or European prospects as the national men’s basketball program’s naturalized player.
“That’s actually a pretty easy answer. We were really believe in his ability, we believe he is fit for the team and for the program, and we recognized that this is a long-term investment,” Baldwin told BusinessMirror on Friday.
The 6-foot-10 Kouame plays for Ateneo and has won three University Athletic Association of the Philippines titles under Baldwin. Other than that, the 23-year-old Interdisciplinary Studies sophomore hardly has any international experience, unlike his predecessors, Marcus Douthit and Andray Blatche who are certified NBA veterans and journeymen.
“This is a program that we are looking at on the long term and so the 2023 horizon is one stop on what we believe would be a long investment in basketball,” Baldwin said. “And we think he is the right guy. With his familiarity with the players and program, I think we are going to see great things from him much earlier than that.”
The country is the lead host of the Fiba 2023 World Cup with Japan and Jakarta and Baldwin said Kouame has been fitted for that tournament.
Baldwin said Kouame’s age was a major factor for his selection.
“We are in a great position to asses that because he is here in the country, and he already has established with the younger players which is an advantage for him and for the program,” he said.
Baldwin said NBA players were at the bottom of the list because of the clash between the Fiba format and the US pro league’s schedule.
“First of all, it’s their [NBA players] availability under the new Fiba format with windows much more difficult than it was in the past,” he said. “With Ange [Kouame], we will have greater availability.”
Kouame’s naturalization remains pending in Congress.