# DR Congo men's national basketball team

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. (French: République démocratique du Congo Fédération de basket-ball)
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 the FIBA in 1963 and made their first tournament debut twelve years later, during the 1974 AfroBasket. In the following year, they played in the 1975 AfroBasket championship. Congo ended in the fourth place after a 2–3 record. After a 6th place in 1980, the team missed the tournament for the next 27 years.
During AfroBasket 2007, DR Congo returned and finished 15th.
After another 10-year absence, the country played in the AfroBasket 2017 where they reached the quarter-finals after upsetting Nigeria in the group phase.
In August 2022, Jonathan Kuminga joined the Congolese team to become the first National Basketball Association (NBA) player to play for the national team. Kuminga had just won his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors.

## 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 record | FIBA World Cup record | FIBA World Cup record | FIBA World Cup record | FIBA World Cup record | FIBA World Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | GP | W | L | – |
| 1963 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1967 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification | AfroBasket served as qualification |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2019 |
| 2023 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 12 | 5 | 7 | 2023 |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 2027 |
| Total | 0/16 | 0/16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 11 | Total |

### AfroBasket

Fourth place
| AfroBasket record | AfroBasket record | AfroBasket record | AfroBasket record | AfroBasket record | AfroBasket record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | GP | W | L | – |
| 1964 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1965 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1968 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1974 | Classification stage | 6th | 4 | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| 1975 | Main stage | 4th | 5 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1980 | Classification stage | 6th | 5 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| 1981 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1983 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1985 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1987 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1989 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1993 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1995 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1997 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 1999 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 2001 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 2003 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 2005 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | | | |
| 2007 | Classification round | 15th | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2009 |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2013 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2013 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2017 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2017 |
| 2021 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2021 |
| 2025 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2025 |
| Total | 7/29 | 7/29 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 11 | 13 | – |

### FIBA AfroCan

Champions   Fourth place
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L |
| 2019 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 | 4th place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 2/2 | 2/2 | 11 | 8 | 2 |

## Team
### Current roster

Roster in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers of August 27, 2022.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Current club |
| 00 | SG | Jonathan Kuminga | Golden State Warriors |
| 3 | F | Narcisse Ambanza | Espoir Fukash |
| 4 | G | Myck Kabongo | Cape Town Tigers |
| 5 | G | Henry Pwono | Etzella |
| 10 | PF | Joel Ntambwe | Delaware Blue Coats |
| 11 | C | Pitchou Kambuy Manga | REG |
| 15 | F | Rolly Fula Nganga | Espoir Fukash |
| 16 | PF | Shekinah Munanga | Évreux |
| 18 | C | Jordan likanda | CB Breogán |
| 23 | F | Rodrigue Ebondo Tambwe | SOA |
| 24 | G | Ron Mvouika | Plymouth Raiders |

### Head coaches

| Name | Nationality | Tenure |
| Papy Kipunka Kiembe | DR Congo | 2017–2018 |
| John Douaglin | France | 2018 |
| Mathias Eckhoff | Norway | 2020–2022 |
| Thomas Drouot | France | February 2022 – July 2022 |
| Emmanuel Mavomo | DR Congo | August 2022 – May 2023 |

### Notable eligible players

| Name | Team | Team nation |
| Bismack Biyombo | San Antonio Spurs | United States |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | Salt Lake City Stars | United States |
| Yannick Nzosa | Unicaja Málaga → Fuenlabrada | Spain |
| Jordan Sakho | Breogán | Spain |
| Emmanuel Mudiay | Piratas de Quebradillas | Puerto Rico |

## Top scorers

The following players were the DR Congo's top scorers in their AfroBasket tournaments:
DR Congo top scorers at AfroBasket :
| Tournament | Player | Points | PPG |
| 2017 | Herve Kabasele Kasonga | 59 | 14.8 |
| 2021 | Henry Pwono | 48 | 16.0 |