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Luc Mbah a Moute

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Luc Mbah a Moute
Mbah a Moute with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2016
Personal information
Born (1986-09-09) 9 September 1986 (age 38)
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolMontverde Academy
(Montverde, Florida)
CollegeUCLA (2005–2008)
NBA draft2008: 2nd round, 37th overall pick
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Playing career2008–2020
PositionPower forward / small forward
Number12, 33
Career history
2008–2013Milwaukee Bucks
2013Sacramento Kings
2013–2014Minnesota Timberwolves
2014–2015Philadelphia 76ers
2015–2017Los Angeles Clippers
2017–2018Houston Rockets
2018–2019Los Angeles Clippers
2020Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Cameroon
African Championships
Silver medal – second place 2007 Angola National team

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (/ˌbɑː ɑː ˈmuːteɪ/ BAH ah MOO-tay; born 9 September 1986) is a Cameroonian former professional basketball player. Mbah a Moute also played for the Cameroon national team.

Mbah a Moute is currently a player agent for Creative Artists Agency (CAA).[1]

College career

[edit]

Mbah a Moute attended Montverde Academy in Florida from 2001 to 2005, where he was coached by Kevin Sutton.[2] Soon, he would be Westwood-bound to play for Ben Howland and UCLA.

As a freshman in 2005–06, Mbah a Moute led the Pac-10 Champion Bruins in rebounding. Mbah a Moute led or tied for the lead for the Bruins in rebounding in 27 regular-season games. In the NCAA tournament, Mbah a Moute scored the winning layup at the end of a comeback win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. Mbah a Moute also posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in a Final Four victory over LSU. For the year, Mbah a Moute averaged 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, and he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.[3]

He became something of a cult phenomenon among the UCLA faithful. Along with fellow Cameroonian Alfred Aboya, the dynamic duo sparked the "Cameroon Crazies" (a take-off of Duke's "Cameron Crazies" fans) section, along with an enormously popular T-shirt which read "Moute Kicks Boute".[4] Mbah a Moute himself became known as The Fresh Prince of Africa, after the television show of the same name.[5]

His mother, Goufane a Ziem Agnes Bertine, and his father, Camille Moute à Bidias, had never seen him play for UCLA until they came from Cameroon to attend the Final Four of the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[6] During the 2008 season, his team had a record of 35–4 and won their third straight Pac-10 title and made their third straight NCAA Final Four.

Mbah a Moute ended his UCLA career with an honorable mention All-Pac-10, honorable mention Pac-10 All-Defensive Team selection and a fifth-place finish in scoring (8.8 ppg). He is ranked the No. 15 rebounder with a total of 775 rebounds.

Mbah a Moute became the first player to start in three straight Final Fours at UCLA in 34 years. Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, and Greg Lee (1972–74) were the last players at UCLA, and Andre Hutson and Charlie Bell of Michigan State (1999–2001) were the last to do so.

Professional career

[edit]

Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2013)

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Mbah a Moute with the Bucks in 2011

Mbah a Moute gave up his final year of college eligibility at UCLA to enter the 2008 NBA draft, in which he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 37th overall pick.[7] Mbah a Moute got off to a quick start with the Bucks and quickly became a fan favorite. His strong play, especially on defense, led to him overtaking Charlie Villanueva as the Bucks' starting power forward only nine games into the season. In his second game as a starter, Mbah a Moute posted career highs of 19 points and 17 rebounds in a 101–96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Bucks head coach Scott Skiles and general manager John Hammond both praised Mbah a Moute's defensive skills.[8]

After the 2010–11 season, Mbah a Moute became a restricted free agent. On 10 December 2011, he received a four-year, $18.7 million offer sheet from the Denver Nuggets. Three days later, the Bucks matched the offer sheet, re-signing Mbah a Moute.[9]

Sacramento Kings (2013)

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On 12 July 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the Sacramento Kings.[10]

Minnesota Timberwolves (2013–2014)

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On 26 November 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Derrick Williams.[11]

Philadelphia 76ers (2014–2015)

[edit]

On 23 August 2014, a three-team trade was completed, involving the Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. As part of the deal, Mbah a Moute and teammate Alexey Shved were traded to the Sixers, along with a 2015 first round draft pick from Cleveland. The Cavaliers received Kevin Love from Minnesota, whereas the Wolves received Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett from Cleveland and Thaddeus Young from Philadelphia.[12] It united him with Joel Embiid, a fellow Cameroonian he had invited to his Basketball Without Borders camp in 2011 and who had been selected by the 76ers with their 2014 first round pick.[13]

On 14 July 2015, Mbah a Moute signed with the Sacramento Kings once again.[14] However, two days later, his contract was voided by the Kings after he failed his physical examination.[15] Mbah a Moute felt he was mistreated by the Kings and filed grievance against the team. He later passed a medical test in order to compete for Team Africa at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game on 1 August.[16]

Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2017)

[edit]

On 25 September 2015, Mbah a Moute signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.[17] Midway through the 2015–16 season, the Clippers placed Mbah a Moute in the starting lineup.

On 8 July 2016, Mbah a Moute re-signed with the Clippers.[18] On 21 April 2017, in Game 3 of the Clippers' first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz, Mbah a Moute scored a career playoff-high 15 points to help the Clippers win 111–106, taking a 2–1 lead in the series.[19] The Clippers went on to lose the series to the Jazz in seven games.

Houston Rockets (2017–2018)

[edit]

On 19 July 2017, Mbah a Moute signed with the Houston Rockets.[20] On 22 November 2017, in a 125–95 win against the Denver Nuggets, Mbah a Moute finished with a plus–minus of +57, the highest in an NBA game in 20 years. He was a perfect 5-of-5 shooting for 13 points in 26 minutes, during which the Rockets outscored the Nuggets 93–36.[21] On 14 December 2017, he was ruled out for two to three weeks with a shoulder injury.[22] Mbah a Moute dislocated his shoulder for a second time on 10 April 2018, in a 105–99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[23] He subsequently missed the first round of the playoffs.[24]

Return to the Clippers (2018–2019)

[edit]

On 19 July 2018, Mbah a Moute signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, returning to the franchise for a second stint.[25] He appeared in just four games for the Clippers in 2018–19 after injuring his left knee in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on 23 October 2018.[26] He initially underwent various non-surgical treatment options before ultimately undergoing a partial medial meniscectomy on his left knee, with medial femoral condyle chondroplasty, on 28 March 2019.[26] He was subsequently waived by the Clippers on 7 April.[27]

Return to the Rockets (2020)

[edit]

On July 7, 2020, the Houston Rockets announced that they had signed Mbah a Moute.[28]

Career statistics

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NBA statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008–09 Milwaukee 82* 51 25.8 .462 .000 .729 5.9 1.1 1.1 .5 7.2
2009–10 Milwaukee 73 62 25.6 .480 .353 .699 5.5 1.1 .8 .5 6.2
2010–11 Milwaukee 79 52 26.5 .463 .000 .707 5.3 .9 .9 .4 6.7
2011–12 Milwaukee 43 22 23.5 .510 .250 .641 5.3 .7 .9 .5 7.7
2012–13 Milwaukee 58 45 22.9 .401 .351 .571 4.4 .9 .7 .2 6.7
2013–14 Sacramento 9 5 21.8 .469 .333 .692 3.0 1.7 1.0 .6 4.4
2013–14 Minnesota 55 2 14.7 .447 .214 .685 2.2 .4 .4 .2 3.3
2014–15 Philadelphia 67 61 28.6 .395 .307 .589 4.9 1.6 1.2 .3 9.9
2015–16 L.A. Clippers 75 61 17.0 .454 .325 .526 2.3 .4 .6 .3 3.1
2016–17 L.A. Clippers 80 76 22.3 .505 .391 .678 2.2 .5 1.0 .4 6.1
2017–18 Houston 61 15 25.6 .481 .364 .684 3.0 .9 1.2 .4 7.5
2018–19 L.A. Clippers 4 0 15.3 .444 .333 .400 1.8 .5 .3 .3 5.0
2019–20 Houston 3 0 8.3 .400 .000 .500 .7 - .6 - 1.7
Career 689 453 23.3 .454 .334 .659 4.1 .9 .9 .4 6.4

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010 Milwaukee 7 7 25.4 .520 .000 .600 5.6 .7 .3 .0 9.1
2013 Milwaukee 4 4 34.0 .435 .000 .722 3.5 1.8 1.0 .0 8.3
2016 L.A. Clippers 5 5 15.6 .667 - 1.000 2.0 .2 .6 .0 1.8
2017 L.A. Clippers 7 7 32.0 .395 .313 .700 5.0 1.0 1.1 .6 7.6
2018 Houston 9 0 16.6 .250 .200 .571 2.4 .3 .7 .4 2.8
Career 32 23 23.9 .418 .216 .667 3.8 .7 .7 .3 5.8

College statistics

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2005–06 UCLA 39 38 29.5 .538 .132 .723 8.2 1.3 1.1 .6 9.1
2006–07 UCLA 35 35 29.9 .492 .222 .570 7.4 1.9 1.7 .8 8.2
2007–08 UCLA 33 32 29.0 .478 .200 .689 6.0 1.5 1.0 .5 8.8
Career 107 106 29.5 .503 .215 .668 7.2 1.6 1.3 .6 8.7

Personal life

[edit]

Mbah a Moute is a prince in the village of Bia Messe in the district of Bafia (near Yaoundé),[29] as he is a son of the elected village chief, Camille Mouté à Bidias. His father is a high-ranking government official, managing the National Employment Fund of Cameroon, a training and job-placement national agency. Mbah a Moute is the twin brother of Emmanuel Bidias a Moute, who played basketball for Texas State University. His younger brother, Roger Moute a Bidias, was a basketball player for the California Golden Bears.[30] Luc Mbah a Moute married Aurelie Van Assche on February 15, 2020, in Yaoundé, their hometown.[31]

Mbah a Moute helped discover Cameroonian center Joel Embiid, the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and eventual teammate on the Philadelphia 76ers.[32] He also helped discover another Cameroonian player, power forward Pascal Siakam, the 27th pick in the 2016 NBA draft.[33] and NBA G-League 2017-18 Defensive Player of the Year Landry Nnoko.

References

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  1. ^ "Ex-NBA forward Mbah a Moute to focus on Africa as agent". ESPN. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  2. ^ Springer, Steve (10 December 2005). "UCLA Turns to Prince of a Guy". LA Times. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  3. ^ Springer, Steve (7 March 2006). "Bruin Gets Fresh Honor". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014.
  4. ^ USA Today article about the Bruins which includes information about the Cameroon Crazies Accessed 20 July 2006
  5. ^ "'Cameroon crazies' an odd couple for UCLA". HighBeam.com. 2 April 2006. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  6. ^ Diane Pucin and Mike Hiserman – UCLA's Collison has had enough of 'One Shining Moment'. Los Angeles Times, 5 April 2008
  7. ^ "UCLA's Mbah a Moute the latest Bruin to enter NBA draft". Sports Illustrated. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.[dead link]
  8. ^ Aschburner, Steve (13 January 2009). "Rookie Mbah a Moute proving to be a prince of a player for the Bucks". SI.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Luc Richard Mbah a Moute re-signs". ESPN.com. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Kings Acquire Luc Mbah a Moute". NBA.com. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Wolves Acquire Luc Mbah a Moute from Sacramento". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers Acquire 2015 First-round Pick From Minnesota". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  13. ^ "The key to Joel Embiid's rise? Luc Mbah a Moute".
  14. ^ "Kings Sign Omri Casspi and Luc Mbah A Moute". NBA.com. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Kings Void Mbah a Moute Contract". NBA.com. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  16. ^ "Report: NBPA filing grievance after Kings void Luc Mbah a Moute's deal". SI.com. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  17. ^ "L.A. CLIPPERS SIGN MBAH A MOUTE AND TSKITISHVILI". NBA.com. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  18. ^ "Press Release: Clippers Re-sign Free Agents Crawford, Johnson, Mbah A Moute And Rivers". NBA.com. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Paul scores 34, Clippers beat Jazz 111–106 to take 2–1 lead". ESPN.com. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Rockets Sign Free Agent Luc Mbah a Moute". NBA.com. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  21. ^ MacMahon, Time (23 November 2017). "Reserve Luc Mbah a Moute notches eye-opening statistic in Rockets' triumph". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017.
  22. ^ Conway, Tyler (14 December 2017). "Luc Mbah a Moute Reportedly out 2-3 Weeks with Shoulder Injury". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  23. ^ "CP3 Leads Rockets Past Lakers 105-99 for 31st Win in 34". The New York Times. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  24. ^ "Ingles career night leads Jazz over Rockets 116-108". ESPN.com. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018. Luc Mbah a Moute had four points and four rebounds in his second game back after missing the first series after dislocating his right shoulder on April 10.
  25. ^ "Press Release: L.A. Clippers signed forward Luc Mbah a Moute". NBA.com. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  26. ^ a b "L.A. Clippers Forward Luc Mbah a Moute Undergoes Surgical Procedure". NBA.com. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  27. ^ "L.A. Clippers Waive Luc Mbah a Moute". NBA.com. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  28. ^ "Rockets Sign Free Agent Luc Mbah a Moute". NBA.com. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  29. ^ Fast Glass, Seth (6 February 2006). "Cameroon calling". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  30. ^ "#12 Roger Moute a Bidias". CalBears.com. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  31. ^ "Report: Luc Mbah a Moute et Aurelie: le mariage qui fait le buzz à Yaoundé". 16 February 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  32. ^ "Report: Kansas basketball star Joel Embiid will enter NBA Draft". KansasCity.com. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  33. ^ MacMullan, Jackie (8 May 2017). "Cameroon Calling". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
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