D. J. Mbenga facts for kids
Mbenga with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 30, 1980 Kinshasa, Zaire (now DR Congo) |
| Nationality | Belgian / Congolese |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2002 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2001–2013 |
| Career history | |
| 2001–2002 | Spirou Gilly |
| 2002–2003 | Leuven Bears |
| 2003–2004 | Spirou Charleroi |
| 2004–2007 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2007–2008 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2008–2010 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2010–2011 | New Orleans Hornets |
| 2012 | Qingdao DoubleStar |
| 2013 | Barako Bull Energy |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Didier "D. J." Ilunga-Mbenga (pronounced ben-ga; born December 30, 1980) is a former professional basketball player. He played as a center. D. J. Mbenga has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of two countries. He is from both Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also played for the Belgian national basketball team.
Contents
Early Life and Journey to Belgium
D. J. Mbenga was born and grew up in Kinshasa, which was then called Zaire. Today, this country is known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His father worked for the government.
When a new government took over, it looked for people who had worked for the previous leader. Because of this, D. J. Mbenga and his family were put in prison. His father was able to help his wife and son escape the country. D. J. and his mother found safety in Belgium.
While living in a place for refugees, D. J. Mbenga was discovered by a famous Belgian basketball player named Willy Steveniers. Willy Steveniers became D. J.'s coach and helped him learn more about basketball.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting in Belgium (2001–2004)
D. J. Mbenga began his professional basketball career in Belgium. In 2001, he joined a team called Spirou Gilly. He played his first professional games during the 2001–02 season.
In 2002, D. J. moved to the Leuven Bears team in the Belgian Basketball League. During the 2002–03 season, he played 21 games and scored about 8.1 points per game.
The next year, in 2003, D. J. Mbenga joined Spirou Charleroi. He played for this team in the Belgian Basketball League and also in the ULEB Cup games.
Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2004–2007)
On July 14, 2004, D. J. Mbenga signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He joined them for the 2004 NBA Summer League. In his first season, 2004–05, he played in 15 games.
In July 2005, D. J. played for the Dallas Mavericks again in the NBA Summer League. He then played in 43 regular season games during the 2005–06 season. During the 2006 playoffs, D. J. was suspended for six games. This happened after he went into the stands to help his coach's wife, who was being bothered by fans. The Mavericks made it to the 2006 NBA Finals that year but lost to the Miami Heat.
D. J. Mbenga signed another contract with the Mavericks on July 13, 2006. However, he played only 21 games in the 2006–07 season because he had a knee injury. He returned to play in October 2007 but was later released by the Mavericks.
Time with the Golden State Warriors (2007–2008)
On November 17, 2007, D. J. Mbenga signed with the Golden State Warriors. He played for them for a short time before being released on January 6, 2008.
Winning Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (2008–2010)
On January 21, 2008, D. J. Mbenga signed a short contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. He then signed another contract and stayed with the Lakers for the rest of the 2007–08 season. He re-signed with the team in September 2008.
On March 6, 2009, D. J. had a great game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored 10 points and had 5 blocks. The Lakers went on to win the 2009 NBA championship, beating the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals.
In November 2009, D. J. Mbenga started his first game for the Lakers. This happened because other players like Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were injured. He had his first "double-double" (scoring 10 points and getting 12 rebounds) against the New Orleans Hornets. On April 9, 2010, he scored a career-high 11 points. D. J. Mbenga won his second NBA championship with the Lakers in 2010. They defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals.
Later Career (2010–2013)
On October 13, 2010, D. J. Mbenga signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Hornets. His last NBA game was on April 28, 2011, against his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Hornets lost that game and the series.
In 2012, D. J. Mbenga played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Summer League. He briefly signed with the Dallas Mavericks again but was released. In November 2012, he played for the Qingdao Eagles in China.
In April 2013, D. J. Mbenga signed with the Barako Bull Energy team in the Philippines. He later signed with the New York Knicks in October 2014 but was released shortly after.
NBA Career Statistics
| 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 |
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Dallas | 15 | 1 | 3.9 | .429 | .000 | .750 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .3 | 1.0 |
| 2005–06 | Dallas | 43 | 1 | 5.5 | .533 | .000 | .500 | 1.3 | .0 | .1 | .6 | 1.7 |
| 2006–07 | Dallas | 21 | 0 | 3.8 | .313 | .000 | .875 | .5 | .3 | .1 | .2 | .8 |
| 2007–08 | Golden State | 16 | 0 | 8.1 | .391 | .000 | .500 | 1.9 | .3 | .2 | .6 | 1.2 |
| 2007–08 | L.A. Lakers | 26 | 0 | 7.5 | .492 | .000 | .400 | 1.6 | .2 | .2 | .6 | 2.5 |
| 2008–09† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 0 | 7.9 | .474 | .000 | .875 | 1.3 | .4 | .4 | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| 2009–10† | L.A. Lakers | 49 | 2 | 7.2 | .466 | .000 | .474 | 1.8 | .2 | .1 | .6 | 1.8 |
| 2010–11 | New Orleans | 41 | 0 | 8.0 | .469 | .000 | .722 | 2.1 | .1 | .1 | .7 | 1.4 |
| Career | 234 | 4 | 6.7 | .470 | .000 | .607 | 1.5 | .2 | .2 | .6 | 1.8 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Dallas | 7 | 0 | 3.6 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.1 | .0 | .0 | .1 | .6 |
| 2008 | L.A. Lakers | 7 | 0 | 4.3 | .625 | .000 | .000 | 1.3 | .0 | .3 | .1 | 1.4 |
| 2009† | L.A. Lakers | 7 | 0 | 2.3 | .167 | .000 | .000 | .4 | .0 | .0 | .3 | .3 |
| 2010† | L.A. Lakers | 3 | 0 | 4.0 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.7 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 |
| 2011 | New Orleans | 5 | 0 | 5.2 | 1.000 | .000 | .500 | 1.0 | .2 | .4 | .6 | 1.0 |
| Career | 29 | 0 | 3.7 | .440 | .000 | .800 | 1.0 | .1 | .1 | .2 | .9 | |
Personal Life and Charity Work
D. J. Mbenga is a talented speaker! He can speak five different languages: French, Portuguese, English, Lingala, and Tshiluba.
In 2005, D. J. started the Mbenga Foundation. This organization helps children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also helps refugees in Belgium.
See also
In Spanish: Didier Ilunga-Mbenga para niños
- List of European basketball players in the United States
