Mfiondu Kabengele excited by Dubai Basketball project and opportunity to 'be a better Muslim' in UAE

Former NBA centre has joined on a two-year deal after impressing in last season’s EuroCup with Italian side Reyer Venezia

Mfiondu Kabengele played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in the NBA. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai Basketball's new Canadian big man Mfiondu Kabengele says he joined the emirate’s newest elite sports team to become a better player – and a better Muslim.

The 2.08m former NBA centre, who played 55 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics from 2019 to 2022, signed on a two-year deal from Reyer Venezia in Italy after impressing in last season’s EuroCup, the second tier of EuroLeague.

Kabengele was the EuroCup’s top rebounder, averaging 9.7 per game to go along with 15.4 points, earning him a spot on the All-EuroCup First Team. In the Italian League, he averaged 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.

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He said after talking to Dubai’s coaching staff, he believes playing for the UAE club will give him the chance to show off his other talents.

“Rebounding, rebounding and setting good screens and being a defensive anchor is the cake of my game,” he said. “But the icing, the decoration – that's what kind of makes the cake pretty – was the shooting, attacking mismatches, pushing the break, potentially shooting outside the paint, shooting the three-pointer, that kind of stuff.

“One of the things that drew me [to Dubai] was because they recognised and watched my game and what it could be.

“A lot of people see me how I am and want me for how I am and not for what I could be. And that enticed me to come here because I know there's room for me to grow.

“I know it takes work. They told me you have to work for it. And then once I prove that I put the work in and show it in practice, I can grow my role steadily and surely, which is why I agreed to be here for a long period of time.

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“I come from the NBA. EuroLeague is the second-best league in the world in my opinion, and the best league in Europe. So coming here, seeing the potential competition, a lot of guys who are veterans, pros, super skilled, because it is a little bit of a different game compared to the American style, but even though it is different aesthetically, the ability, the strategy is top-notch.”

Dubai play their first EuroLeague game against Partizan Belgrade on Tuesday, following an impressive first season in professional basketball, finishing third in the Adriatic region’s ABA League and earning an invitation to join Europe’s elite teams.

They brought in several experienced EuroLeague stars alongside a handful of former NBA players to ensure the best chance of competing against some of world basketball’s top teams.

But Kabengele, who helped the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the 2022 championship in the NBA G League, its minor league, says his move to Dubai was about more than basketball.

“I became Muslim on February 11, 2023, and just the opportunity to be around other people [who share my faith], I feel like I'd be a better Muslim,” he said.

“I feel like I'd be a higher character, because you are who you surround yourself with. I feel being over here, being challenged, the way Dubai is set up, especially aesthetically and the culture here.

“I want to be the gentleman I was taught to be growing up. And I feel like Dubai will do that for me because of the people here, the mosques, the culture.

“It's exciting for me, especially because I know there's room for me to grow as a person, especially as a basketball player, so to be here and to be fully engulfed in it, there’s no turning back. My passport is stamped.”

Serbian point guard Aleksa Avramovic is another who arrived in Dubai with high expectations because of his experience, energy and scoring ability.

The Olympic bronze medallist signed on a three-year deal from CSKA Moscow, where he averaged 12.2 points and 3.4 assists.

He said joining so many former teammates for club and country means building team chemistry will be no problem for Dubai.

“This is the third team I have played together with [Nemanja] Dangubic. I played with [Danilo] Andusic in Partizan and now in the national team, and I know Filip Petrusev from the national team,” said the 30-year-old.

“A lot of people on the team are from the ex-Yugoslavia. We talk Serbian. About nine of our players speak Serbian, including [former NBA three-point shooter] Davis Bertans and [Dzanan] Musa too, so it's easier to make an impact on the court.

“We like each other, but we need to work. We need to grow up together and build team chemistry, to build momentum.”

Avramovic, who counts Dubai’s first opponents Partizan among his former teams, said a good start in EuroLeague is vital if they are going to compete with the best teams in the competition.

While the opening game may come too early for him because of a minor injury, he said he would love to make his Dubai debut against his former employer.

“Making a good start in the EuroLeague means a lot. It can define your season. It can guide you to the next level,” he said.

“If you have a good start, you just need to continue on that path, but if you start the wrong way, you will need to constantly find your rhythm, to find your form and to start to build your team's momentum. Then you will start to win.

“It would be very emotional playing against Partizan. It will be emotional, but I'm going to give 100 per cent, even more for Dubai.”