Clint N'Dumba Capela (born May 18, 1994) is a Swiss professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He is the Hawks' franchise leader in career field-goal percentage, having led the NBA in the same field during the 2017–18 season. He is the highest-earning team athlete in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

's history.

Early years

Capela was born in

Geneva, Switzerland Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, to an Angolan father and Congolese mother. His parents separated a few months after his birth, leaving his mother to raise him and his brothers by herself. As a child, at first he liked

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

. He was raised partly in foster care. Because he was as a 13-year-old, his brother suggested he switch sports. After meeting Swiss basketball icon

Thabo Sefolosha Thabo Patrick Sefolosha (; born May 2, 1984) is a Swiss former professional basketball player. He has also played in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets, in the Turkish Basketball ...

, Capela became more and more fascinated with basketball. At 15 years old, he was spotted at the European Junior Championships with the Swiss team and joined the

Chalon-sur-Saône Chalon-sur-Saône (, literally ''Chalon on Saône'') is a city in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; h ...

training center,

INSEP INSEP, the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (Institut national du sport, de l'expertise et de la performance), is a French training institute and center for excellence in sports that trains elite athletes. It is located on th ...

, in France.

Professional career

Élan Chalon (2012–2014)

In 2012, Capela joined the senior

Élan Chalon Élan Sportif Chalonnais, commonly known as Élan Chalon, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Chalon-sur-Saône, France. The team's main colors are red and white, and their mascot is a moose. The team's home arena is called ...

team of the

LNB Pro A The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...

. On April 12, 2014, Capela represented the World Team at the 2014

Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of internationa ...

. Later that month, he declared for the

2014 NBA draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

. In May 2014, he was named the Best Young Player and Most Improved Player of the 2013–14 LNB Pro A season.

Houston Rockets (2014–2020)

On June 26, 2014, Capela was selected with the 25th overall pick in the

by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. On July 25, 2014, he signed with the Rockets. On March 30, 2015, Capela scored his first NBA points, finishing the game with eight points and nine rebounds in a 99–96 loss to the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. On April 13, he had a season-best game for the Rockets with 10 points and five rebounds in a win over the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

. During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the

Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won f ...

of the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

. Capela took a step forward in the postseason, when he saw minutes in place of the injured

Donatas Motiejūnas Donatas Motiejūnas (; born September 20, 1990) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for AS Monaco Basket of LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. He was drafted 20th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves before going on ...

. He appeared in more playoff games (17) than regular season contests in 2014–15 and averaged 3.4 points in 7.5 minutes per postseason game. In his second season, on November 6, 2015, Capela recorded his first career double-double with then career highs of 13 points and 12 rebounds as a starter in a 116–110 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. On November 29, in an overtime win over the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

, Capela recorded his third double-double over a span of four games, including a career-high 18 points. During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Capela competed for the World Team in the

Rising Stars Challenge The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. The current format to be used in 2022 includes first- and ...

. On April 13, in the Rockets' season finale, Capela recorded a career-high 17 rebounds in a 116–81 win over Sacramento. On November 19, 2016, Capela scored a career-high 20 points in a 111–102 win over the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. On November 27, 2016, he set a new career high with 21 points against the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

. On December 19, 2016, he was ruled out for six weeks after suffering a broken fibula. He returned to action on January 17, 2017, against the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

after missing 15 games; he started the game against Miami but was scoreless in nine minutes. On October 18, 2017, Capela had 22 points and matched his career high with 17 rebounds in a 105–100 win over the

. On December 11, 2017, he had a career-high 28 points in a 130–123 win over the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

. By Christmas, Capela had accumulated 16 double-doubles in 28 games and ranked first in the NBA in field goal percentage. On February 9, 2018, he recorded 23 points and a career-high 25 rebounds in a 130–104 win over the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

, earning his first 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career. He became the youngest Rocket to have at least 23 points and 25 rebounds in a game since

Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...

had 30 points and 25 rebounds against the Knicks on February 14, 1985. Capela was runner-up for the

NBA Most Improved Player Award The NBA's Most Improved Player Award (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of s ...

in 2017–18 after averaging career highs of 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.85 blocks. He led the league in field goal percentage (.652) while ranking eighth in rebounding and second in blocks. In Game 5 of the Rockets' first-round playoff series against the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

, Capela had 26 points and 15 rebounds in a 122–104 series-clinching win. After the 2017–18 season, Capela became a

restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...

. On July 27, 2018, he signed a five-year, $90 million extension with the Rockets. On November 5, in a 98–94 win over the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

, Capela had 18 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth consecutive double-double, a career best. On December 22, he had 21 points and a season-high 23 rebounds in a 108–101 win over the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

. On December 25, he had 16 points and tied a season high with 23 rebounds in a 113–109 win over the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

. On January 7, he scored a career-high 31 points in a 125–113 win over the

. On January 14, he was ruled out for four to six weeks with a right thumb injury that he suffered the previous night against the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. He returned to action on February 21 against the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

after missing 15 games. In March 2019, he had a career-best streak (12) of games with at least 10 rebounds.

Atlanta Hawks (2020–present)

On February 5, 2020, Houston traded Capela and

Nenê Nenê (; born Maybyner Rodney Hilário; September 13, 1982) is a Brazilian former professional basketball player. Known previously as Nenê Hilario, he legally changed his name to simply Nenê in 2003. Early life Born Maybyner Rodney Hilário i ...

to the

and received

Robert Covington Robert Covington (born December 14, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). he played college basketball for the Tennessee State Tigers. In 2018, he was named ...

and

Jordan Bell Jordan Trennie Bell (born January 7, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. As a junior in 2017, Bell earn ...

in a four-team, 12-player trade. On December 28, 2020, Capela made his Hawks debut, putting up seven points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in a 128–120 win against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. On January 22, 2021, Capela recorded his first career triple-double with 13 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a 116–98 win over the

National team career

In August 2013, Capela debuted for the Swiss national basketball team at the

FIBA EuroBasket 2015 qualification This article describes the qualification procedure for EuroBasket 2015. Qualification format In the first qualifying round, 13 teams which didn't qualify for EuroBasket 2013 have been divided into four groups. The winners of each group advance ...

rounds.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, 12 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .483 , , , , .174 , , 3.0 , , .2 , , .1 , , .8 , , 2.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 35 , , 19.1 , , .2 , , .000 , , .379 , , 6.4 , , .6 , , .8 , , 1.2 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 57 , , 51 , , 23.6 , , .643 , , , , .531 , , 8.1 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 1.2 , , 12.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 74 , , 27.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .652* , , .000 , , .560 , , 10.8 , , .9 , , .8 , , 1.9 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 67 , , 33.6 , , .648 , , , , .636 , , 12.7 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 1.5 , , 16.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 39 , , 32.8 , , .629 , , , , .529 , , 13.8 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , 1.8 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, 63 , , 63 , , 30.1 , , .594 , , , , .573 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 14.3* , , .8 , , .7 , , 2.0 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 73 , , 27.6 , , .613 , , .000 , , .473 , , 11.9 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , 11.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 471 , , 410 , , 26.8 , , .624 , , .000 , , .527 , , 10.7 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 1.5 , , 12.4

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

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, 17 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .677 , , , , .517 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .2 , , .5 , , 3.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 8.6 , , .333 , , , , .400 , , 4.0 , , .4 , , .6 , , .4 , , 1.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 26.0 , , .561 , , .000 , , .615 , , 8.7 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 2.5 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

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, 17 , , 17 , , 30.6 , , .660 , , , , .473 , , 11.6 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 2.1 , , 12.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 30.1 , , .561 , , , , .429 , , 10.3 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 1.1 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 18 , , 31.6 , , .603 , , , , .436 , , 11.2 , , .9 , , .7 , , 1.1 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 20.0 , , .333 , , , , , , 7.5 , , .0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 81 , , 59 , , 23.7 , , .602 , , .000 , , .490 , , 8.4 , , .9 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , 8.5

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 0 , , 8.0 , , .636 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .4 , , .7 , , 2.3 , , 4.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 7 , , 0 , , 8.0 , , .636 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .4 , , .7 , , 2.3 , , 4.9

References

External links

Clint Capela
at euroleague.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Capela, Clint 1994 births Living people Atlanta Hawks players Élan Chalon players Houston Rockets draft picks Houston Rockets players National Basketball Association players from Switzerland Power forwards (basketball) Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Sportspeople from Geneva Swiss expatriate basketball people in the United States Swiss men's basketball players Swiss people of Angolan descent Swiss sportspeople of African descent European sportspeople of Angolan descent Swiss people of Republic of the Congo descent European sportspeople of Republic of the Congo descent