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Luc Richard Mbah A Moute

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Luc
Date de Naissance:
1986-09-09
Lieu de Naissance:
Yaounde

Considered royalty both on the court and off, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (pronounced Bah ah moo-tay) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA (National Basketball Association).

Mbah a Moute is a prince in the village of Bia Messe (near Yaoundé), as he is a son of the elected village chief, Camille Mouté à Bidias. His father is a high-ranking government official, managing the National Employment Fund of Cameroon, a training and job-placement national agency.

From Montverde Academy in Florida, Mbah a Moute led the Pac-10 Champion Bruins in rebounding as a freshman. He led or tied for the lead for the Bruins in rebounding in 27 regular season games. In the NCAA tournament, Mbah a Moute scored the winning layup at the end of a comeback win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and also posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in a Final Four victory over LSU. For the year, Mbah a Moute averaged 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds.

He became something of a cult phenomenon among the UCLA faithful. Along with fellow Cameroonian Alfred Aboya, the dynamic duo sparked the "Cameroon Crazies" (a take-off of Duke's "Cameron Crazies" fans) section, along with an enormously popular t-shirt which read "Moute Kicks Boute". Mbah a Moute himself became known as 'The Fresh Prince', after the television show of the same name. His mother, Goufane a Ziem Agnes Bertine, and his father, Camille Moute à Bidias had never seen him play for UCLA, until they came from Cameroon to attend the Final Four of the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. During the 2008 season, his team had a record of 35–4 and won their third-straight Pac-10 title and third-straight NCAA Final Four.

Mbah a Moute ended his UCLA career with an honorable mention All-Pac-10, honorable mention Pac-10 All-Defensive Team selection and a fifth place finish in scoring (8.8 ppg). He is ranked as the No. 15 rebounder with a total of 775 rebounds.

Mbah a Moute became the first player to start in three straight Final Fours at UCLA in thirty-four years. Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes and Greg Lee (1972–74) were the last players at UCLA, and Andre Hutson and Charlie Bell of Michigan State (1999–2001) were the last ones to do so.

Mbah a Moute gave up his eligibility to play college basketball at UCLA for his senior year to enter the 2008 NBA Draft, in which he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (overall pick #37). As a second round pick, Mbah a Moute got off to a quick start with the Milwaukee Bucks, and quickly became a fan favorite. His strong play, especially on defense, led to him overtaking Charlie Villanueva as the Bucks' starting power forward only nine games into the season.

In his second game as a starter, Mbah a Moute posted career highs of 19 points and 17 rebounds in a 101–96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Bucks head coach Scott Skiles and general manager John Hammond both praised Mbah a Moute's defensive skills.

After 2010-11 season, he became a restricted free agent. On December 12, 2011, he signed an offer sheet with the Denver Nuggets. The contract was reportedly worth $18.7 million for 4 years. However, on December 13, Bucks matched the offer and kept Mbah a Moute with the team.

On July 12, 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the Sacramento Kings. On November 26, 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for forward Derrick Williams.

He is the twin brother of Emmanuel Bidias a Moute, who played basketball for Texas State University. His younger brother, Roger Moute a Bidias, is a freshman for the California Golden Bears. Mbah a Moute also plays for the Cameroon national basketball team. Not only that, but he had also helped discover center Joel Embiid to help influence him to be more of a basketball player.

Mbah a Moute was named the Freshman of the Year in the Pacific-10 Conference, edging out Arizona freshman Marcus Williams.