Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam got the news of a lifetime on Thursday, as he earned a well-deserved starting spot for the Eastern Conference in the 2020 NBA All-Star game slated on February 16 at the United Center.

The 25-year-old native of Douala, Cameroon, who made the All-Star team for the first time in his career, opened up about the proud moment of his young basketball career. Siakam bared that he wishes that his father would have been alive to share the moment with him.

According to Pascal Siakam, his father Tchamo was the one who introduced his sons to basketball, in hopes that all of them realize an NBA dream in the future. His three older brothers, Boris, Christian, and James, all managed to play NCAA Division I basketball in the United States. Pascal was the only one to realize that dream, getting picked 27th overall by the Raptors in 2016 after a stellar three-year career in Mexico State.

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But Tchamo never got the chance to see his son make it to the pros, as he died in a tragic car crash in October 2014. Siakam never made it to the funeral of his father as he was waiting for the issuance of a new US visa at the time of his death.

“Spicy P” has since taken the leap to superstardom this season after being named the Most Improved Player of the Year last year during the Raptors' conquest of their first NBA title in history. In 33 games for Toronto, Siakam has assumed the reins as the team's best player with stellar averages of 23.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 block per game.