Clint Capela facts for kids
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Capela with the Houston Rockets in 2019
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| No. 21 – Houston Rockets | |
|---|---|
| Center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 18, 1994 Geneva, Switzerland |
| High school | INSEP (Paris, France) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 256 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25th overall |
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | |
| Pro career | 2012–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2014 | Élan Chalon |
| 2014–2020 | Houston Rockets |
| 2014–2015 | →Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2020–2025 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2025–present | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Clint N'Dumba Capela (born May 18, 1994) is a professional basketball player from Switzerland. He plays for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Clint is well-known for his amazing skills in getting rebounds and blocking shots.
The Rockets picked him as the 25th player in the 2014 NBA draft. He has earned more money than any other team athlete in Switzerland's history.
Clint started his career in 2012 with a team called Élan Chalon in France. He played there for two seasons. During that time, he was named the "Best Young Player" and the "Most Improved Player." After that, he joined the NBA.
His big breakthrough season was in 2016–17 with the Rockets. He became a very important player as a center and a key defender. In the 2017–18 season, he had the best field goal percentage in the league. This means he made a very high percentage of his shots. His career field goal accuracy is one of the best in NBA history!
Clint has always been one of the top players for rebounds and blocks. He even led the entire NBA in rebounding during the 2020–21 season when he played for the Atlanta Hawks. He also plays for the Swiss national team.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Clint Capela was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His father was from Angola, and his mother was from the Congo. His parents separated when he was very young, so his mother raised him and his brothers.
When he was a kid, Clint first loved playing soccer. He was also raised partly in foster care. By the time he was 13, he was already very tall, about 6 feet 3 inches (1.90 meters). His brother suggested he try basketball because of his height.
After meeting Thabo Sefolosha, a famous Swiss basketball player, Clint became very interested in basketball. When he was 15, he was noticed playing with the Swiss team at a European Junior Championships. He then joined a special training center in France called INSEP.
Clint's Professional Journey
Starting with Élan Chalon (2012–2014)
In 2012, Clint Capela joined the main team of Élan Chalon in France. This team plays in the LNB Pro A league.
In April 2014, Clint played for the World Team in a special game called the Nike Hoop Summit. Later that month, he decided to enter the 2014 NBA draft. In May 2014, he was recognized as the "Best Young Player" and "Most Improved Player" for the 2013–14 season in the French league.
Playing for the Houston Rockets (2014–2020)
On June 26, 2014, the Houston Rockets chose Clint Capela as the 25th pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He officially signed with the Rockets on July 25, 2014.
On March 30, 2015, Clint scored his first NBA points. He finished that game with eight points and nine rebounds. During his first season, he also spent some time playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This team is part of the NBA Development League, which helps young players get more experience.
Clint became more important during the playoffs that year. He played more games in the playoffs (17) than in the regular season. He averaged 3.4 points in about 7.5 minutes per playoff game.
In his second season, on November 6, 2015, Clint got his first career double-double. This means he had double-digit numbers in two stats, like 13 points and 12 rebounds. He did this as a starter in a game against the Sacramento Kings. Later that month, he had 18 points, which was a career high at the time.
During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Clint played for the World Team in the Rising Stars Challenge. On April 13, in the last game of the Rockets' season, he grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds.
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On November 19, 2016, Clint scored a new career-high of 20 points. A week later, he set another new career high with 21 points. In December 2016, he had to miss six weeks of games because of a broken bone in his leg. He came back to play in January 2017.
On October 18, 2017, Clint scored 22 points and matched his career high with 17 rebounds. On December 11, 2017, he scored a career-high 28 points! By Christmas that year, he had already achieved 16 double-doubles. He was also leading the NBA in field goal percentage.
On February 9, 2018, he had an amazing game with 23 points and a career-high 25 rebounds. This was his first time getting at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. He was the youngest Rockets player to do this since the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985.
Clint was a runner-up for the "NBA Most Improved Player Award" in 2017–18. He averaged career bests of 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.85 blocks per game. He led the league in field goal percentage (.653) and dunks (213). He was also eighth in rebounding and second in blocks. In the playoffs, he had 26 points and 15 rebounds in a game that helped the Rockets win their series.
After the 2017–18 season, Clint signed a new five-year contract with the Rockets. On November 5, 2018, he had his sixth double-double in a row, which was a career best. On December 22, he had 21 points and a season-high 23 rebounds. On January 7, 2019, he scored a career-high 31 points!
In January 2019, he had to miss some games because of a thumb injury. He returned to play in February. In March 2019, he had a streak of 12 games where he got at least 10 rebounds.
Time with the Atlanta Hawks (2020–2025)
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On February 5, 2020, Clint was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Atlanta Hawks. This was a big trade involving four teams and 12 players.
He made his debut with the Hawks on December 28, 2020. He had seven points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in a win. On January 22, 2021, Clint achieved his first career triple-double. This means he had double-digit numbers in three stats: 13 points, 19 rebounds, and a career-high 10 blocks!
During the 2021 NBA playoffs, Clint helped the Hawks reach the Conference Finals. On June 23, he scored 12 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in a key win against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks eventually lost that series.
On December 31, 2021, Clint grabbed a season-high 23 rebounds and scored 18 points in a win.
On April 11, 2023, during a special playoff game, Clint grabbed 21 rebounds. This helped the Hawks win and get a spot in the main playoffs.
Back with the Houston Rockets (2025–Present)
On July 6, 2025, Clint Capela signed a new three-year contract to return to the Houston Rockets. This was part of a big trade involving seven teams. He is currently playing for the Rockets.
Playing for Switzerland
In August 2013, Clint Capela started playing for the Swiss national basketball team. He played in the qualification rounds for the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 tournament.
Career Statistics
Here are some of Clint Capela's career statistics. These numbers show how well he has played in different leagues.
| * | Led the league |
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Houston | 12 | 0 | 7.5 | .483 | — | .174 | 3.0 | .2 | .1 | .8 | 2.7 |
| 2015–16 | Houston | 77 | 35 | 19.1 | .582 | .000 | .379 | 6.4 | .6 | .8 | 1.2 | 7.0 |
| 2016–17 | Houston | 65 | 59 | 23.9 | .643 | — | .531 | 8.1 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.2 | 12.6 |
| 2017–18 | Houston | 74 | 74 | 27.5 | .652* | .000 | .560 | 10.8 | .9 | .8 | 1.9 | 13.9 |
| 2018–19 | Houston | 67 | 67 | 33.6 | .648 | — | .636 | 12.7 | 1.4 | .7 | 1.5 | 16.6 |
| 2019–20 | Houston | 39 | 39 | 32.8 | .629 | — | .529 | 13.8 | 1.2 | .8 | 1.8 | 13.9 |
| 2020–21 | Atlanta | 63 | 63 | 30.1 | .594 | — | .573 | 14.3* | .8 | .7 | 2.0 | 15.2 |
| 2021–22 | Atlanta | 74 | 73 | 27.6 | .613 | .000 | .473 | 11.9 | 1.2 | .7 | 1.3 | 11.1 |
| 2022–23 | Atlanta | 65 | 63 | 26.6 | .653 | .000 | .603 | 11.0 | .9 | .7 | 1.2 | 12.0 |
| 2023–24 | Atlanta | 73 | 73 | 25.8 | .571 | .000 | .631 | 10.6 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.5 | 11.5 |
| 2024–25 | Atlanta | 55 | 41 | 21.4 | .559 | .000 | .536 | 8.5 | 1.1 | .6 | 1.0 | 8.9 |
| Career | 664 | 587 | 26.2 | .617 | .000 | .544 | 10.5 | 1.0 | .7 | 1.4 | 12.0 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Houston | 17 | 0 | 7.5 | .677 | — | .517 | 2.5 | .3 | .2 | .5 | 3.4 |
| 2016 | Houston | 5 | 0 | 8.6 | .333 | — | .400 | 4.0 | .4 | .6 | .4 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | Houston | 11 | 11 | 26.0 | .561 | .000 | .615 | 8.7 | 1.1 | .7 | 2.5 | 10.5 |
| 2018 | Houston | 17 | 17 | 30.6 | .660 | — | .473 | 11.6 | 1.3 | .8 | 2.1 | 12.7 |
| 2019 | Houston | 11 | 11 | 30.1 | .561 | — | .429 | 10.3 | 1.5 | .3 | 1.1 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | Atlanta | 18 | 18 | 31.6 | .603 | — | .436 | 11.2 | .9 | .7 | 1.1 | 10.1 |
| 2022 | Atlanta | 2 | 2 | 20.0 | .333 | — | — | 7.5 | .0 | .5 | .5 | 2.0 |
| 2023 | Atlanta | 6 | 6 | 25.2 | .605 | — | .667 | 8.3 | .5 | 1.0 | .5 | 8.3 |
| Career | 87 | 65 | 23.8 | .602 | .000 | .495 | 8.4 | .9 | .6 | 1.3 | 8.5 | |
EuroLeague Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Élan Chalon | 7 | 0 | 8.0 | .636 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.0 | .3 | .4 | .7 | 2.3 | 4.9 |
| Career | 7 | 0 | 8.0 | .636 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.0 | .3 | .4 | .7 | 2.3 | 4.9 | |
More About Clint
- Players with the best shooting percentages in NBA history
See also
In Spanish: Clint Capela para niños
