Clint Capela Bio
Clint N’Dumba Capela (born May 18, 1994) is a Swiss professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Known for his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities, he was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Rockets. He is the highest-earning team athlete in Switzerland’s history.
A 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) center, Capela has built his reputation as one of the league’s most reliable interior forces, combining size, timing, and motor to dominate the glass and protect the rim.
Early Life and Background
Clint N’Dumba Capela was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to an Angolan father and a Congolese mother. His parents separated a few months after his birth, and his mother raised him and his brothers on her own. For part of his childhood, Capela lived in foster care.
As a child, he was first drawn to soccer, but his unusual height changed his athletic path. By age 13, he already stood about 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in), and his brother encouraged him to try a different sport. After meeting Swiss basketball icon Thabo Sefolosha, Capela became more and more fascinated with basketball.
At 15 years old, he was spotted at the European Junior Championships while playing for the Swiss national team and joined the Chalon-sur-Saône training center, INSEP, in France, to continue his development.
Path to Basketball
Capela’s professional path began in 2012 when he joined the senior Élan Chalon team of the LNB Pro A, France’s top basketball division. Playing as a teenager in a professional league, he quickly showed the size, mobility, and defensive instincts that had marked him as a prospect.
On April 12, 2014, Capela represented the World Team at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit, an annual showcase of top international and American high school talent. Later that month, he declared for the 2014 NBA draft.
In May 2014, he was named both the Best Young Player and Most Improved Player of the 2013–14 LNB Pro A season, awards that confirmed his rapid rise and helped establish him as a first-round talent.
Clint Capela Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
During his two seasons with Élan Chalon, Capela developed into one of the most promising young centers in French basketball. His combination of length, shot-blocking timing, and finishing around the rim made him a focal point of the team’s interior defense.
His standout 2013–14 campaign earned him the Pro A Best Young Player and Most Improved Player honors, and his Nike Hoop Summit appearance placed him on the radar of NBA scouts worldwide before he declared for the draft.
Houston Rockets Breakthrough (2014–2020)
On June 26, 2014, Clint N’Dumba Capela was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, and he signed his rookie contract on July 25, 2014. During his first season, he had multiple assignments with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, and he took a step forward in the postseason, when he saw minutes in place of the injured Donatas Motiejūnas and appeared in 17 playoff games.
His second season marked a clear arrival. On November 6, 2015, he recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings, and by April 13, 2016, he had posted a career-high 17 rebounds in a win over Sacramento. During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Capela competed for the World Team in the Rising Stars Challenge.
The 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons cemented his status. On October 18, 2017, he had 22 points and matched his career high with 17 rebounds in a win over the Sacramento Kings, and on December 11, 2017, he erupted for a career-high 28 points in a victory against the New Orleans Pelicans. On February 9, 2018, he recorded 23 points and a career-high 25 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets, becoming the youngest Rocket with at least 23 points and 25 rebounds in a game since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985. He was runner-up for the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2017–18, leading the league in field goal percentage (.653) and dunks (213). After becoming a restricted free agent, he signed a five-year, $90 million extension with the Rockets on July 27, 2018, and on January 7, 2019, he scored a career-high 31 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets.
Atlanta Hawks Era (2020–2025)
On February 5, 2020, Houston traded Clint N’Dumba Capela and Nenê to the Atlanta Hawks in a four-team, 12-player deal. After a delayed debut due to injury, he made his Hawks debut on December 28, 2020, putting up seven points, nine rebounds and two blocks against the Detroit Pistons.
On January 22, 2021, Capela recorded his first career triple-double with 13 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks in a 116–98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He went on to lead the NBA in rebounding during the 2020–21 season, anchoring Atlanta’s interior as the Hawks surged to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Following the season, he signed a two-year, $46 million extension through 2024–25.
He continued to produce at a high level, grabbing a season-high 23 rebounds on December 31, 2021, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and pulling down 21 rebounds in the Hawks’ 2023 play-in win over the Miami Heat that secured the seventh seed in the playoffs.
Second Stint with Rockets (2025–Present)
On July 6, 2025, Clint N’Dumba Capela signed a three-year, $21.5 million contract with the Houston Rockets as part of a sign-and-trade involving seven teams, returning to the franchise that originally drafted him. The deal runs through the 2027–28 season and reflects his continued value as a rim-running, glass-cleaning center.
His return gives the Rockets a veteran anchor in the middle and a familiar face in the locker room, pairing him once again with the organization where he first established himself as an NBA starter.
Driving Style and Strengths
Capela is best known for his rebounding on both ends of the floor, his ability to rim-run in transition, and his timing as a shot-blocker. His career field goal accuracy of 62.1% is the fourth highest in NBA history, reflecting how efficiently he finishes around the basket off pick-and-rolls and put-backs, and his 2020–21 rebound title underscored his consistency on the glass.
Notable Events and Milestones
Capela’s signature moments include his first career triple-double with 10 blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves, his 25-rebound performance against the Denver Nuggets, and his game-winning score late in Game 1 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. His 2017–18 runner-up finish for NBA Most Improved Player and his NBA rebounding title in 2021 stand as the defining individual milestones of his career.
Clint Capela Career Wins
Clint N’Dumba Capela has not won an NBA championship, but his career is highlighted by league-leading efficiency, individual awards, and deep playoff runs with the Houston Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks.
NBA Highlights
Capela led the NBA in rebounding during the 2020–21 season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks and led the league in field goal percentage during the 2017–18 season with the Houston Rockets, finishing that year as the runner-up for the NBA Most Improved Player Award. With Houston in 2014–15, he appeared in 17 playoff games despite limited regular-season minutes, an early sign of his postseason value.
Other Wins & Performances
In Europe, Capela was named the Pro A Best Young Player and Pro A Most Improved Player in 2014, and he earned NBA D-League All-Defensive First Team honors in 2015 during his time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He has also represented the Swiss national team, debuting at the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 qualification rounds in August 2013.
Clint Capela Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Clint N’Dumba Capela was born to an Angolan father and a Congolese mother in Geneva, Switzerland. His parents separated shortly after his birth, and his mother raised him and his brothers as a single parent, with part of his childhood spent in foster care.
Personal Life
Capela grew up in Geneva and later moved to France to train at INSEP before beginning his professional career with Élan Chalon. Details of his current personal life, including marital status and children, are not publicly confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Clint N’Dumba Capela returned to the Houston Rockets on July 6, 2025, signing a three-year, $21.5 million contract that runs through the 2027–28 season. His homecoming to the franchise that drafted him in 2014 anchors a frontcourt built around rebounding, rim protection, and lob-finishing efficiency.
The 2025–26 campaign gives Capela a familiar system and a defined role as the team’s starting center. His track record of double-doubles, shot-blocking, and elite field goal percentage provides the Rockets with a steady interior presence alongside their younger core.
With a multi-year commitment in place, Capela’s 2025 outlook centers on stabilizing the defense, controlling the boards, and serving as a veteran leader for a Rockets team looking to climb the Western Conference standings.
