It’s been a busy week for Kyle Wiltjer.

There was the flight from Tenerife, Spain, where he is playing professionally this season, to Houston, Texas, to meet up with the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team. There was a week of practice in preparation for this weekend’s FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers. There was another flight, this time to the Dominican Republic, where Canada will take on the Bahamas in a pair of games to open the first of six windows of competition to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. And then there was the process of adjusting his body to each of the various time zones.

Despite the lengthy journey, Wiltjer is thrilled to be back with his Team Canada teammates.

“So, it was quite a journey, but we’re super glad to be here,” he said.

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The “we” he is referring to includes his wife, Charday, and the couple’s seven-month old daughter, Airiah, who made the trip with him. Welcoming a baby during a pandemic, while also living overseas without the typical support system of family nearby, isn’t really something that can be prepared for, but Wiltjer lights up when he shares the story of his daughter’s arrival.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “Her story, she's going to have a great one to tell because she was born in Turkey and now she’s living in Spain. She’s been all over the place.”

Canada’s training camp being in Houston provided an opportunity for Wiltjer’s family to return to the U.S. where they will visit with friends and family while he is in the Dominican Republic with Team Canada.

“It’s been such a blessing in my life,” he said of becoming a father. “Your life completely changes, and it’s a lot of work, but it’s the best thing in the world.”

Though Wiltjer’s priorities have shifted, like any new parent, following the birth of his daughter, committing to Canada’s quest to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and then the Paris 2024 Olympic Games remained on his radar.

“The journey over here is always difficult, especially now that I have a family, “Wiltjer said. “But in terms of like, just straight basketball, it's a no-brainer for me. I was committed last year. I just want to keep it going and I was honoured when they called my name. I'm excited about it.”

Wiltjer is also excited about where Canada Basketball is headed. First playing for Canada at the 2010 U18 FIBA Americas Championship, Wiltjer’s national team career now spans more than a decade. Looking around the gym in Houston this past week, he was reminded that he is now one of the veterans on the team.

“It's a weird feeling,” the 29-year-old said. “I was always the young guy, so it's really cool to be a part of something for so long to now be included in that [veteran conversation]. It’s a fun challenge. Just kind of teaching the young guys the way that the coaching works and how these events work. I’m just trying to be a leader as much as I can.”

In addition to getting to know the Team Canada rookies, getting to reunite with the other vets on the team has also been special.

“It’s always fun when we all come together, because we’re all playing at a high level,” he said. “Being able to play on one team, it’s an honour for all of us to represent Canada. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Wiltjer doesn’t just share this bond with his current teammates, though. Playing for Canada is something that he shares with his father, Greg, the man responsible for his son’s love of the game.

“When I was little, he always had a basketball in my hand,” Wiltjer said of his father. “I was always at his games. He played in Spain and Greece, and then obviously he had a ton of Canada basketball pictures. That's how it all got started with me and Team Canada, just trying to follow in his footsteps. The goal and the reason why I'm playing now is to hopefully play in the Olympics someday. That's the goal for Canada Basketball.”

Wiltjer’s father played for Canada in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, where Canada placed fourth, and three World Championships.

“For me, it's an honour,” Wiltjer said. “For him, it's really fun to be able to watch me, especially at this level. I always dreamed of playing on the national team when I was little and for that dream to become a reality, you know, it's definitely an honour. And every time they ask me to play, it's an honour.

As the Senior Men’s Basketball Team opens this first window of competition, Wiltjer feels good about where things stand. He acknowledges that as far as the program has come, there is still a long way to go, but he is excited about the talent pool of players in Canada, as well as the continuity that the program is building.

“Canada Basketball is in a really good place right now,” he said. “We have a ton of players who are committed and that's the thing that guys like Rowan [Barrett] and Nick Nurse are trying to get, commitments from guys so that we can build something special over the course of five, six, seven, 10 years as opposed to just coming together one summer. That's what a lot of these countries have built success on is having a group of guys and camaraderie. And so that's what we're trying to build.”

That process begins on Sunday with a match-up against the Bahamas at 4 P.M. ET., live on Sportsnet.

“I'm super excited to get this next window started,” Wiltjer said. “It's a challenge we're really excited for and I hope we can write a really positive next chapter of Canada Basketball.”