Mfiondu Kabengele facts for kids
Kabengele in 2023
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| No. 17 – Dubai Basketball | |
|---|---|
| Center / power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 14, 1997 Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Florida State (2017–2019) |
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27th overall |
| Selected by the Brooklyn Nets | |
| Pro career | 2019–present |
| League | ABA League EuroLeague |
| Career history | |
| 2019–2021 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2019–2020 | →Agua Caliente Clippers |
| 2021 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2021–2022 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2022–2023 | Boston Celtics |
| 2022–2023 | →Maine Celtics |
| 2023 | AEK Athens |
| 2024–2025 | Venezia |
| 2025–present | Dubai Basketball |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Mfiondu Tshimanga Kabengele (born August 14, 1997) is a professional basketball player from Canada. He plays for Dubai Basketball in the ABA League and EuroLeague. Before becoming a professional, he played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles.
Contents
College Basketball Journey
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Mfiondu Kabengele joined Florida State as a player who wasn't widely known. He spent his first year practicing with the team but not playing in games. This is called "redshirting."
Playing for Florida State
In his second year, he became an important player. His team even reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. He scored about 7.2 points and grabbed 4.6 rebounds per game.
During his third year, Kabengele was the team's top scorer. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Even though he didn't start any games, he was named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year. This award goes to the best player who comes off the bench.
In the NCAA Tournament that year, he played even better. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. On April 9, 2019, he decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last two years of college basketball.
Professional Basketball Career
Los Angeles Clippers (2019–2021)
On June 20, 2019, Mfiondu Kabengele was chosen by the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA draft. He was the 27th player picked. Soon after, his draft rights were traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers officially signed him on July 9, 2019.
He made his NBA debut on October 24, 2019. He scored three points and had a rebound and a block in a win against the Golden State Warriors. On November 16, 2019, he scored 10 points and had two rebounds in a big win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Kabengele also played for the Agua Caliente Clippers, the G League team linked to the Los Angeles Clippers. In one game on January 14, 2020, he had 25 points and 12 rebounds. A few days later, on January 19, he scored 38 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in another G League game. He worked hard to improve his three-point shot while playing in the G League.
On March 22, 2021, Kabengele was traded to the Sacramento Kings. However, he was waived (released) by the Kings just three days later.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2021)
On April 10, 2021, Kabengele signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He signed a second 10-day contract on April 21. Then, on May 1, he signed a multi-year contract with the team.
On May 9, he had his best game with the Cavaliers. He scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had one assist in 23 minutes of play. On October 12, 2021, the Cleveland Cavaliers waived him.
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2021–2022)
After leaving the Cavaliers, Kabengele signed with the Houston Rockets on October 17, 2021. But he was waived shortly after. He then joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, a team in the NBA G League.
Boston Celtics (2022–2023)
On July 16, 2022, Kabengele signed a special "two-way contract" with the Boston Celtics. This contract allows players to play for both the NBA team and its G League affiliate. He signed after playing well in the Summer League.
On March 27, 2023, he was named the G League Player of the Week. He averaged 27 points and 16.5 rebounds that week. On April 13, he was recognized for his great play. He was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team and the NBA G League All-Defensive Team.
AEK Athens (2023)
On August 13, 2023, Kabengele signed with AEK Athens, a team in the Greek Basket League. This was his first time playing for a club in Europe.
On November 25, 2023, he had an amazing game. He scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and added 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a big win. On December 26, 2023, his contract with AEK ended. He averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game in Greece.
Reyer Venezia (2023–2025)
After leaving AEK, Kabengele signed with an Italian team called Reyer Venezia. He first signed until the end of the 2023–2024 season. He then signed again to play for them during the 2024-2025 season.
Dubai Basketball (2025–Present)
On May 29, 2025, Kabengele signed with Dubai Basketball. This team plays in both the ABA League and the EuroLeague.
Career Statistics
NBA Games Played
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | L.A. Clippers | 12 | 0 | 5.3 | .438 | .450 | 1.000 | .9 | .2 | .2 | .2 | 3.5 |
| 2020–21 | L.A. Clippers | 23 | 0 | 4.1 | .281 | .222 | .833 | .6 | .2 | .1 | .1 | 1.2 |
| Cleveland | 16 | 0 | 11.6 | .421 | .281 | .786 | 2.9 | .8 | .4 | .6 | 4.3 | |
| 2022–23 | Boston | 4 | 0 | 9.0 | .286 | .000 | 1.000 | 2.5 | .0 | .5 | .0 | 1.5 |
| Career Total | 55 | 0 | 6.9 | .383 | .301 | .852 | 1.5 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 2.6 | |
College Games Played
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Florida State | 34 | 0 | 14.8 | .491 | .385 | .657 | 4.6 | .3 | .4 | .9 | 7.2 |
| 2018–19 | Florida State | 37 | 0 | 21.6 | .502 | .369 | .761 | 5.9 | .3 | .6 | 1.5 | 13.2 |
| Career Total | 71 | 0 | 18.3 | .498 | .374 | .724 | 5.3 | .3 | .5 | 1.2 | 10.3 | |
About Mfiondu's Life
Mfiondu Kabengele's parents, Tshilongo and Tshimanga Kabengele, are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They moved to Canada for their education.
Mfiondu has a famous uncle, Dikembe Mutombo. Dikembe Mutombo is a legendary basketball player. He is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and played in the NBA for 18 years.
Mfiondu studied international affairs at Florida State University. He can also speak French very well.
See also
In Spanish: Mfiondu Kabengele para niños
