Sixth grader Gabriel Silva hopes to ball on the court for the Warriors in the future.
Greg Byrd | El Defensor Chieftain

 

Sixth grader Gabriel Silva is currently in his third year playing basketball at the youth level. The up and coming star hopes to take his skills to the high school level going forward.

Question: What is the most important part of being a basketball player?

Answer: Always have good defense and offense on the court. It is simple as that.

Q: Do you play any sports other than basketball?

A: I play football and baseball. But basketball is my favorite to play by far.

Q: Were you pressured to get into athletics?

A: No. This has always been kind of my thing and my family is always out here to support me during games.

Q: What is your least favorite part of playing basketball?

A: Fouls. Coming in and out of fouls on both ends of the floor can be a real pain.

Q: What is the best part of your game?

A: I make good shots and good passes every time I play. Always try to make things happen.

Q: What has the experience of playing with these kids been like?

A: It’s been good. But sometimes it can get bad. The other boys can get annoying or mad or grouchy, which takes the fun out of playing. I can do the same thing myself. We need to fight hard to keep stuff positive.

Q: Why should a person decide to play sports?

A: Always try to compete and have good sportsmanship. You don’t have to be good at sports in order to play. It’s good to get out instead of staying at your house all day playing video games.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete?

A: Steph Curry. He’s the greatest shooter ever and I really look up to him.

Q: If you could have dinner with one famous person in history, who would that be?

A: It would be three. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaq. Those were the three best in the world, and I would love to have them teach me how to be better on the court.

 

Greg Byrd | El Defensor Chieftain Sports Editor