THE ball is now on the court of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) as Ange Kouame reiterated his commitment to the Gilas Pilipinas program in the lead-up to the 2023 Fiba World Cup.
The naturalized player stressed that he's ready to suit up for the national tri-colors if ever they call him back for duty after the UAAP Season 85.
"I'll be available by then," he said on Thursday. "If the national team calls, for sure I'll be there no matter what's going on."
Kouame was forced to sit out the third window of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers and the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup due to a partial ACL tear but vowed to be ready to play in the global showpiece a year from now.
Despite his absence, the 6-foot-10 banger said that playing for the Philippines remains as one of his top priorities.
"At the end of the day, it's something that I chose. And I love my job, too. No matter what's gonna happen, I'm still gonna be present for the the national team," he said.
Still, Kouame, the UAAP Season 84 MVP, knows that a lot can still happen from now until August next year and he's just on the lookout for the opportunities that might soon come his way.
"But after this season, I have plans to be overseas. But we'll never know how things will go. It depends how things are," he said.
"For sure, I have options. We'll figure it out after the UAAP season."
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