Heat surprise forward Chris Silva, fly mother to Miami from Gabon for emotional reunion

Miami Heat surprised their power forward Chris Silva by reuniting him with his mother before their game against the Indian Pacers on Friday night (Saturday morning IST). Chris Silva, who is a Gabon native, met his mother after three years. Silva is playing for the Miami Heat and has a two-way contract with them for NBA 2019-20. He is an undrafted rookie player from South Carolina. This season, he is averaging 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. 

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NBA: Miami Heat surprise their forward Chris Silva by reuniting him with his mother after 3 years

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Chris Silva headed to the USA from Gabon when he was 16 in order to make his career in NBA. He played for a high school in New Jersey before going to South Carolina. He returned to Gabon for two weeks during his sophomore year to renew his visa but did not return after that. In an interview earlier this month, Silva mentioned that the two weeks with his family in Gabon felt like two days. Chris Silva also added that no one except for his uncle had ever seen him play basketball. He also admitted that thinking about his family during hard times kept him motivated throughout the years. 

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBA Africa flew Chris Silva's mother from over 6300 miles. She will be watching him play against the Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. Miami Heat won the Pacers vs Heat game 113-112. In a recent interview, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted that Chris Silva has one of the most 'unique' NBA backstories he has seen. Spoelstra believed that it must have been scary for Chris Silva, yet he continued to do what he wanted to do.  

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