The DR Congo national basketball team (French: Équipe nationale de basketball de Congo DR) represents DR Congo in men's international basketball competitions, it is controlled by the Basketball Federation of Democratic Republic of Congo.FIBA National Federations – Democratic Republic of the Congo, fiba.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013. ()
The team has appeared in the FIBA Africa Championship, but has yet to appear in the FIBA World Championship. Its biggest success to date was the Final Four placement at the 1975 FIBA Africa Championship when it competed as Zaire.
History DR Congo joined FIBA in 1963 and made its continental debut twelve years later at the AfroBasket in 1974. The following year, at AfroBasket 1975, the team—then known as Zaire—finished in fourth place with a 2–3 record. After placing sixth in 1980, DR Congo missed the tournament for the next 27 years.
At AfroBasket 2007, DR Congo returned and finished 15th.
Following another lengthy absence, DR Congo re-emerged at AfroBasket 2017 and advanced to the quarter-finals, highlighted by an upset of Nigeria in the group phase.
In August 2022, Jonathan Kuminga, then a newly crowned NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, joined the national team for the 2023 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers, becoming the first NBA player to represent the Leopards. He scored a team-high 18 points and six rebounds in a qualifier against Cameroon.
In qualifying for AfroBasket 2025, DR Congo impressed with a 5–1 record under head coach Michel Perrin. Expectations grew further when Kuminga was named to the preliminary roster.
However, as the tournament approached, Kuminga’s participation was cast into doubt due to unresolved contract negotiations with Golden State. He reportedly declined a two-year, $45 million extension and was considered unlikely to play for DR Congo at AfroBasket 2025.
Performances FIBA Basketball World Cup DR Congo has never appeared in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, but has played in the qualifying rounds. FIBA World Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPosition– 1963Did not qualifyAfroBasket served as qualification 1967 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 20196242019 202312572023 2027To be determinedIn progress2027 2031To be determinedTotal0/1600018711Total
AfroBasket Fourth place AfroBasket recordQualification recordYearRoundPosition– 1964 Did not qualify 1965 1968 1970 1972 1974 Classification stage 6th 4 1 3 1975 Main stage 4th 5 2 3 1978 Did not qualify 1980 Classification stage 6th 5 2 3 1981 Did not qualify 1983 1985 1987 1989 1992 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 Classification round 15th 6 2 4 2009 Did not qualify4132009 2011Did not enter 20136152013 2015Withdrew 2017 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 2 2112017 2021 Group stage 13th 3 1 26332021 2025Qualification to quarter-finals11th4136512025 Total 7/29 31 11 20241113–
FIBA AfroCan
Champions Fourth place Year Round Position 2019 Champions 1st 5 50 2023 4th place 4th 6 32 2027 Qualified Total3/3 11 8 2
Team Current roster Roster for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket.
Head coaches Name Nationality Tenure 2010s 2010s 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018 2020–2022Thomas DrouotFebruary 2022 – July 2022Emmanuel MavomoAugust 2022 – May 2023Pierrot Ilunga2023Michel Perrin2025
Notable eligible players
NameTeamTeam nation Bismack Biyombo San Antonio Spurs Jonathan Kuminga Golden State Warriors Oscar Tshiebwe Salt Lake City Stars Yannick Nzosa Unicaja Málaga → Fuenlabrada Jordan Sakho Breogán Emmanuel Mudiay Piratas de Quebradillas
Past rosters Roster in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers of August 27, 2022. No.Pos.PlayerCurrent club00SGJonathan Kuminga Golden State Warriors3FNarcisse Ambanza Espoir Fukash4GMyck Kabongo Cape Town Tigers5GHenry Pwono Etzella10PFJoel Ntambwe Delaware Blue Coats11CPitchou Kambuy Manga REG15FRolly Fula Nganga Espoir Fukash16PFShekinah Munanga Évreux 18CJordan likanda CB Breogán 23FRodrigue Ebondo Tambwe SOA 24GRon Mvouika Plymouth Raiders
Top scorers The following players were the DR Congo's top scorers in their AfroBasket tournaments: +DR Congo top scorers at AfroBasketTournamentPlayerPointsPPG2017Herve Kabasele Kasonga5914.82021Henry Pwono4816.0
See also Basketball Federation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Dikembe Mutombo Christian Eyenga Bismack Biyombo DR Congo women's national basketball team DR Congo men's national under-18 basketball team DR Congo men's national under-16 basketball team
References
External links FIBA profile Africabasket – DR Congo Men National Team