The Orogranata are strengthening under the basket with the Canadian Mfiondu Kabengele: he will be the new big man of Umana Reyer Venezia, as Sportando reports. Kabengele was born on August 14, 1997 in Burlington, Canada and is 208 cm tall and weighs 113 kg. The former AEK Athens player will make his debut in the league match in Taliercio against Napoli on January 7th.
After spending a year of preparation at the Don Bosco Institute in Crown Point, Indiana, Kabengele transferred to the Florida State Seminoles. In the 2017/18 season he managed to conquer a central role in coach Leonard Hamilton’s team. For the Seminoles, the season ended with the Michigan Wolverines being eliminated in the regional finals, and Mfiondu ended up averaging 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
The following year, Kabengele stood out and finished the season with averages of 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. The Seminoles reached the Sweet Sixteen (the regional semifinals) that year and were ultimately defeated by the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
N.B.A
In 2019 he declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft. He was subsequently selected with the 27th overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets, who immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Jaylen Hands and a future first pick. He was then picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he averaged 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists. In the 2022/23 season he moved to the Boston Celtics and then to the G League to the Maine Celtics in Portland, Oregon.
Europe
The first experience in Europe is coming. In fact, Kabengele played in Greece and in the BCL with AEK Athens this year and averaged 14 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
Umana Reyer is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Mfiondu Kabengele, a 208 centimeter tall, 113 kilogram center from AEK Athens.
Mfiondu Tshimanga Kabengele was born on August 14, 1997 in Burlington, Ontario (Canada) and holds a dual Congolese-Canadian passport.
He grew up playing basketball at Corpus Christi Catholic, a high school in his hometown of Burlington, and at Bosco Institute in Crown Point, Indiana.
In college, he played three years at Florida State, with whom he reached the Elite Eight in 2018 and the Sweet 16 in 2019 and finished in the NCAA Tournament with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
In the summer of 2019, he was selected with number 27 in the NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets and then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom he made his NBA debut. Kabengele continues his basketball development in the G-League with the Agua Caliente Clippers and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (team affiliated with the Houston Rockets).
In June 2022, he signed a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics following his impressive performances in Summer League. In March 2023, he was named G League Player of the Week after posting 27 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists with the Maine Celtics. At the end of the season, he was included in the NBA G League’s ideal defensive quintet.
Before joining Umana, Reyer wore the colors of AEK Athens this season, with whom he scored 14 points and 8 rebounds in the league and 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in the Basketball Champions League.
