For his fifth professional season, Mohamed Bamba is making a name for himself in the NBA, in the Florida team of the Orlando Magic. Born in Harlem to parents from Abidjan, the American basketball player of Ivorian origin is very attached to the land of his ancestors and wants to invest more and more in the land of Elephants. But he also has the objective, among other things, of joining the national team which qualified this summer for the 2023 World Cup.
RFI: Mohamed Bamba, you made your first trip to Côte d’Ivoire last summer. How did you experience this very first experience on the land of your parents?
Mohammad Bamba : I’ve wanted to go there for a long time, but between the Covid pandemic and obligations with my American career, I finally only got to go this summer. And I’m not going to hide from you that I was very relieved to go to Côte d’Ivoire, I had felt the call of the country, of my origins, for a very long time. I was able to meet members of my family, spend time with people in the neighborhood of my parents but also inaugurate basketball courts, including one that was named in honor of my deceased brother, and help an orphanage . I want to invest in the long term, I want to get involved in helping Ivorian youth, it’s something that is very close to my heart. I have several projects in mind, and it also gave me the opportunity to see what I could put in place for the future. Part of me is there, comes from there, and I am very attached to this country. I love Abidjan, it’s a great city.
Ivory Coast is a country crazy about football. How did you feel about the attention given to basketball during your time there?
I find the attraction to basketball in the Ivory Coast very interesting as well, and I felt that the sport was starting to take on more and more importance with the rise of the national team by example, but also the attraction of young people for American culture, and Africans in the NBA, like me, Joël Embiid, Pascal Siakam and all the others. We are examples, ambassadors of the continent in the United States, and that creates emulation in all countries, and basketball is starting to really take on a beautiful popular dimension in Côte d’Ivoire. I felt a lot of love for the orange ball, it’s really encouraging for the present, but also for the future, because I saw a lot of young people full of talent with the ball in hand during my stay.
You also went to see one of the Elephants’ matches, against Nigeria, in a packed hall…
Yes, it was a great experience, and the guys had a great game, winning against a formidable team from Nigeria. The fans were in fusion, they played their role of “sixth man” perfectly, they were super happy with the victory and I received a great welcome, it warmed my heart, that’s for sure (smile). We really have a superb team, and their journey during these qualifications for the next World Cup is a huge success, because the guys have already validated their ticket for the 2023 World Cup. It’s something strong, huge, not only for the growth of Ivorian basketball but also to inspire the youth of the country.
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Precisely your presence in Côte d’Ivoire was also one more step in the discussions with the Federation to move forward on the process of your integration into the national team. Can you tell us more about it?
Yes, we have been discussing with the Federation for some time about my integration into the national team, and the discussions are going very well, things are progressing. I want to play with the Elephants. We are working on several files, and we are doing everything possible so that I play at some point with the Ivorian jersey on my shoulders. During the first years of my career in the NBA, I was very busy settling in this league above all, and now I am working in order to be able to represent Côte d’Ivoire at the highest level and to offer my contribution to Elephants. Wearing the orange jersey, representing the country and making my compatriots proud, that would be something huge, and I’m doing everything I can to do it quickly. You have to be patient, that’s the key, but wearing the national team jersey is one of my career goals, that’s for sure. I want to get involved as soon as possible and for the long term.
Could your first steps take place at the next World Cup, in the summer of 2023?
It’s a very interesting goal, which tempts me a lot, and we try to put all the elements on our side to see if it’s possible that I can be there for the next World Cup. Playing at the highest level in FIBA, on a field as competitive as the World Cup, would be a great thing, but we are still far from it. We are trying to put everything in place each on our side so that I can wear the national team jersey very soon, and I hope that day will come soon enough. There is still a long time before this tournament and still almost an entire season to go, but it is certain that I would like to join the selection at the next international competition if possible.