Clint Capela
Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 240 pounds
Country: Switzerland
Team: Toronto Raptors
Houston’s defensive anchor is a Swiss national but the son of African immigrants. His mother moved to Italy from the Congo, then met Capela’s Angolense father in Geneva, Switzerland. His parents split shortly after Capela was born, leaving his mother to eventually take Cint and his older brother to a welfare orphanage.
Like many of the other players on this list, basketball wasn’t initially Capela’s favorite sport. A gifted striker, Capela’s grew up playing soccer. He would only pick up a basketball when is older brother realized his towering younger sibling might have a future in the sport.
Capela credits his soccer upbringing for helping him mold his skills on the basketball court. He is one of the most agile big men in the league. Capela routinely terrorizes opponents with his adept rim-running and quick feet defensively. He averaged a career-high 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game during the regular season. While his scoring has dipped in the postseason, Capela is still averaging a double-double and leads the team in blocks with 1.9 per game.
