Days after marking their return to the FIFA World Cup with a draw against Portugal and three days before their Group K meeting with Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo national team visited the Houston Rockets’ training facility. The Leopards have their World Cup base camp in Houston and were welcomed at the Rockets’ center by veteran NBA center Clint Capela, whose mother is from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Capela, listed at 6-foot-10, led the team on a tour of the facilities and spent time on the court. A video shared from the event showed the center taking on Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki in a one-on-one sequence before driving to the basket and finishing with a dunk, drawing laughter and reactions from players and staff gathered around the court.
Capela wrote on social media that it was “an immense pleasure” to welcome the Leopards to the Rockets training center and thanked them for an “inspiring and memorable visit,” urging the squad to “Keep making us dream” and to continue proudly representing the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Capela is the son of an Angolan father and a Congolese mother and represents the Swiss national basketball team. He has consistently embraced his African heritage during his NBA career and has been a regular participant in NBA Africa initiatives, including the NBA Africa Game and Basketball Without Borders camps, as well as supporting development through programs such as the Basketball Africa League. Capela has told NBA Africa he wants young Africans to understand that reaching the highest levels of sport is possible.
The Leopards returned to the World Cup after a 52-year absence and opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Portugal, Yoane Wissa scoring the stoppage-time equalizer that earned DR Congo its first World Cup point since 1974. The result boosted belief in the squad, but coach Sébastien Desabre cautioned that the draw would count for little unless the team built on it. DR Congo’s next match is against Colombia, who opened Group K with a victory over Uzbekistan and sit atop the group.
