Emmanuel Kabeya Mudiay (born March 5, 1996) is a Congolese-American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Piratas de Quebradillas ''Piratas'' () is a Spanish adventure drama television series with comedy elements created by Carlos Portela and which stars Óscar Jaenada, Pilar Rubio and Silvia Abascal. It aired on Telecinco in 2011. Premise Set in the 18th century, the fi ...

of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

(BSN). He played high school basketball for Grace Preparatory Academy and Prime Prep Academy in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, where he gained much of the media's attention. He committed to play for the

SMU Mustangs men's basketball The SMU Mustangs men's basketball team represents Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park, Texas and competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. In 104 years of basketball, SMU's record is 1,377 ...

team on August 24, 2013, but later made the decision to forgo college and joined the

Guangdong Southern Tigers Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or Guangdong Southern Tigers, also known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one of ...

in China. After an injury-riddled season in China, he was selected with the seventh overall pick in the

2015 NBA draft The 2015 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2015, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...

by the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

Early life

Mudiay was born on March 5, 1996, in

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...

Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...

(now the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

) to Jean-Paul Mudiay and Therese Kabeya. His father died when he was a toddler, and the family was tremendously troubled by the

Second Congo War The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War or the Great War of Africa, was a major conflict that began on 2 August 1998, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just over a year after the First Congo War. The war initially erupted ...

. He lived under the constant threat of the instability in the region, while his mother grew only enough coffee and vegetables to support their needs. In 2001, Kabeya and her sons sought asylum in the United States and eventually escaped. He primarily spoke French upon arriving in the United States, but his older brother said, "We felt like Americans."

High school career

In his freshman season, Mudiay attended Grace Preparatory Academy in

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...

, where he played alongside Isaiah Austin, who became an elite college center before being diagnosed with

Marfan syndrome Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a multi-systemic genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue. Those with the condition tend to be tall and thin, with dolichostenomelia, long arms, legs, Arachnodactyly, fingers, and toes. They also typically ha ...

. Mudiay scored 16 points in the 2011

TAPPS The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, is an organization headquartered in the Lone Star Tower at Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas. It was formerly headquartered at the Salado Civic Center in Salado, Texas. Found ...

Class 4A Final, helping the team defeat two-time champions Westbury Christian School with the score of 42–37. Mudiay transferred to Prime Prep Academy in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, with head coach Ray Forsett for his final seasons in high school. The program was put under scrutiny following the ineligibility of Karviar Sheperd and Jordan Mickey, two elite collegiate prospects. Upon excellent seasons with Prime Prep, however, Mudiay was rated the second-best recruit in his class by Rivals.com. He was also touted as a possible number one pick in the

. He committed to play for the

team on August 24, 2013, because of the prospect of being coached by Larry Brown, who previously won an

NBA title The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Easter ...

with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. Mudiay selected the school over other possibilities with the likes of

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, Baylor,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, and

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. In the summer of 2014, Mudiay made the decision to forgo college and play overseas after considering playing in the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

. The move drew comparisons with Brandon Jennings, who made a similar choice.

Professional career

Guangdong Southern Tigers (2014–2015)

On July 22, 2014, Mudiay signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the

of the

. On December 5, 2014,

Will Bynum William Bynum (born January 4, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Arizona and Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech before going undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft. ...

was signed by Guangdong as an injury replacement for Mudiay. Mudiay managed just 10 regular season games for Guangdong, only returning to action for the team on March 1, 2015, in Game 3 of their semi-final series against the Beijing Ducks. He played in Game 4 as well, but Guangdong lost the best-of-five series 3–1. In 12 total games (10 regular season and two playoff), Mudiay averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

Denver Nuggets (2015–2018)

On June 25, 2015, Mudiay was selected by the

with the seventh overall pick in the

. Mudiay played with the Nuggets in the

2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three professional sports, pro basketball sports league, leagues organized by the National Basketball Association, NBA: the Orlando Magic, Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas S ...

in Las Vegas, where he was named to the All-NBA Summer League second team. On July 31, he signed a 2-year, $6.3 million rookie scale contract with the Nuggets. He made his debut for the Nuggets in the team's season opener against the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

on October 28, recording 17 points and nine assists in a 105–85 win. Mudiay started in all 23 games for the Nuggets to begin the season before a sprained right ankle suffered on December 11 ruled him out for 14 straight games. He returned to action on January 10 against the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

, recording 11 points and six assists in a 95–92 win. On February 11, he was selected to replace injured defending champion

Patrick Beverley Patrick Beverley (born July 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Ligat HaAl and the EuroCup. Originally from Chicago's West Side, Beverley played college basketball for the Arkansa ...

in the

NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge The NBA Skills Challenge (officially named the Kia Skills Challenge) is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, All-Star Weekend. ...

. On March 10, he scored a career-high 30 points in a 116–98 win over the Phoenix Suns. On March 23, he recorded 27 points and 11 rebounds, and hit the game-winning 35-foot "rainbow" shot at the buzzer to give the Nuggets a 104–103 win over the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

. At the season's end, he earned

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

honors. On November 6, 2016, Mudiay scored 24 of his career-high-tying 30 points in the first quarter of the Nuggets' 123–107 win over the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. On January 16, 2017, he had a career-high 13 assists in a 125–112 win over the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

. Mudiay made 41 starts over the first half of the 2016–17 season before being moved to the bench and dropping out of the rotation in late January.

New York Knicks (2018–2019)

On February 8, 2018, Mudiay was acquired by the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

in exchange for

Doug McDermott Douglas Richard McDermott (born January 3, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While playing college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, McDermott led the ...

and a second-round pick, as part of a three-team trade with the Nuggets and the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

. In his debut for the Knicks three days later, Mudiay had 14 points and 10 assists in a 121–113 loss to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. Two days prior to the start of the 2018–19 season, Mudiay sprained his right ankle in practice; an injury which would sideline him for over two weeks. On December 14, he scored a career-high 34 points in a 126–124 overtime win over the

. On January 25, he was diagnosed with a left shoulder strain and was ruled out for at least two weeks. He returned from a 12-game absence on February 22 against the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

. Mudiay missed the final two games of the season because of a sore left shoulder.

Utah Jazz (2019–2020)

On July 20, 2019, Mudiay signed with the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

. In an interview shortly after signing with the Jazz, he was asked specifically why he chose to sign with the Jazz organization and he stated that he "can look at him Mike Conley">Mike_Conley_Jr..html" ;"title="nowiki/>Mike Conley Jr.">Mike Conleylike a big brother and he can mentor me" and "a lot of players that have come here have developed and gotten better and that's something that I wanted to do." He also stated he had never played in the playoffs and that's something that he wanted to do. On August 3, 2021, Mudiay was included on the Portland Trail Blazers roster for the 2021 NBA Summer League.

Žalgiris Kaunas (2021)

On August 23, 2021, Mudiay officially signed a one-year deal with Lithuanian club BC Žalgiris, Žalgiris Kaunas of the

EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

. On November 2, 2021, Mudiay and Žalgiris mutually parted ways. Mudiay averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 32.5% from the field over 5 games with the club.

Sacramento Kings (2021–2022)

On December 22, 2021, Mudiay signed a 10-day contract with the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

Iowa Wolves (2022–2023)

On November 2, 2022, Mudiay was named to the opening night roster for the

Iowa Wolves The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena and compete in the Western ...

Cangrejeros de Santurce (2023)

On June 8, 2023, Mudiay signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican league.

Piratas de Quebradillas (2024–present)

On February 13, 2024, Mudiay signed with the

of the

. On June 13, 2024, Mudiay was drafted by the Valley Suns in the 2024 NBA G League expansion draft.

National team career

During the 2016 off-season, Mudiay was part of the USA Men's Select Team, a team selected to train with the USA Basketball Men's National Team in preparation for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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, 55 , , 41 , , 25.6 , , .377 , , .316 , , .784 , , 3.3 , , 3.9 , , .7 , , .2 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

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, 59 , , 42 , , 27.2 , , .446 , , .329 , , .774 , , 3.3 , , 3.9 , , .7 , , .3 , , 15.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

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Playoffs

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, 3 , , 0 , , 11.3 , , .357 , , .667 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .0 , , .3 , , 4.3 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 3 , , 0 , , 11.3 , , .357 , , .667 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .0 , , .3 , , 4.3

CBA

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Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

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References

External links

Emmanuel Mudiay
at draftexpress.com
Emmanuel Mudiay
at espn.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Mudiay, Emmanuel 1996 births Living people American men's basketball players American people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent Basketball players from Kinshasa Basketball players from Texas BC Žalgiris players Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players Democratic Republic of the Congo men's basketball players Democratic Republic of the Congo expatriate sportspeople in China Democratic Republic of the Congo expatriate basketball people in the United States Denver Nuggets draft picks Denver Nuggets players Guangdong Southern Tigers players Iowa Wolves players NBA players from the Democratic Republic of the Congo New York Knicks players Piratas de Quebradillas players Point guards Sacramento Kings players Utah Jazz players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in China 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo sportsmen