UTEP men's basketball freshman point guard and France native Kezza Giffa (G-fuh) can't remember life without a basketball in his hand or not being around the sport as his dad starred in the EuroLeague alongside players like Tony Parker for almost two decades.
 
But for Giffa's earliest memories, his dad Sacha was just another person until he began to figure things out.
 
"When I was really young I didn't even pay attention to him playing basketball," Giffa said. "It wasn't until I was six or seven that I started to figure out that my dad was somebody (famous). He became somebody I look up to. He's definitely a role model for me."
 
And it came with some perks too, such as meeting players like Parker. He attained notoriety in Europe before going on to star and win NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs.
 
"He gave me great advice because I've always been skinny like him," Giffa said. "He told me my size is an advantage, and I have to use it."
 
Parker's influence on Giffa is noticeable on the court as well, evidenced by him sinking a floater off one foot in UTEP's season opener against Western New Mexico on Nov. 9. But at his core, Giffa loves to set the tone and distribute.
 
"His signature move is the floater so I used to work on that a lot," Giffa said. "That's where that came from for me, but I also like to create for others, to play pick and roll and find somebody open. Pick and roll is my go-to play. I like to push the ball and to bring the energy."
 
Giffa is left-handed, which is something UTEP head men's basketball coach Joe Golding appreciates along with his game as a whole and the fact that he came across the world to play for UTEP.
 
"I like it (having a lefty) at point guard," Golding said. "I like him when he distributes the ball and gets people involved, that's a big strength for him. He's learning how to play hard, he's learning how to guard. He's 19 years old, over here by himself. He's got new teammates, a new school and a new way of basketball. There's good days and bad days, but we're putting our arm around him and coaching him up hard. We think he's going to be a really good player."
 
Giffa's desire to come to the United States started when he was young, when he watched a documentary about a notable men's basketball team in the Midwest.
 
"When I was younger I saw a documentary with my dad about the 'Fab Five' in Michigan and I loved it," Giffa said. "I loved American basketball and I always wanted to be here (in the U.S.). I'm happy about the opportunity to play here with Coach Golding, who is a great coach."
 
Giffa was a pretty accomplished prep player, averaging 17.8 points per game (231 points) in 13 games with Levallois Metropolitans U21 during the 2020-21 season in France. He also dished out 3.8 assists per game, to pace the team in both scoring and helpers. Giffa also earned the opportunity to play with the French National U19 team. He believes it helped his cause with Golding bringing him to the Sun City.
 
"I think he liked the way I played in France," Giffa said. "I was a top five scorer in the France U21 league. I think he saw my highlights and loved the way that I played."
 
To hear Golding say it, Giffa isn't far off.
 
"We found Kezza through a mutual friend who was good friends with Kezza's dad," Golding said. "His dad was a heck of a player back home. We were able to watch a lot of film on him and bring him over here."
 
Now that he's had a taste of playing for his country by competing with the French National U19 team, Giffa has bigger aspirations.
 
"To play for my country (at the highest level) is something that I really want to do," Giffa. "You can defend your (flag's) colors, where you're from and obviously everybody wants to beat Team USA."
 
But for now, he's focused on learning and growing as a player. That's something that Golding believes he can do.
 
"I'm proud of Kezza," Golding said. "He got here late (due to Covid protocols). He's getting tougher and tougher, and I'm proud of where he's going. He's coachable."
 
Giffa has studied the States from afar to help prepare him for his time at UTEP. It also proved vital in his ability to learn English.
 
"I'm from France, but I've studied American culture," Giffa said. "It's way different (than from France), but I love it. I learned English by myself. I translated song lyrics and I watched a lot of TV shows in English with subtitles in French."
 
While he has high hopes of playing basketball for his country and professionally, Giffa also has plans for beyond that.
 
"I would like to open my own business," Giffa said. "My major is general business so to be my own boss is what I want."
 
His journey is just beginning and it's shaping up to be a fun one no matter where he is or what he's doing.