Immigrant of the Day: Luc Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
National Basketball Association player Luc Mbah a Moute was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Raised in Yaoundé, a metropolitan city, Luc and his family had close ties to the village of Bafia, where his father was a chieftain, and by extension, Luc was a prince. Growing up in Cameroon, Luc – like most boys in his country – played soccer, but as a teenager, he took up basketball.
Mbah a Mouté played college basketball for UCLA and led the Pac-10 Champion Bruins in rebounding as a freshman. He scored the winning layup at the end of a comeback win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. Mbah a Mouté also posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in a Final Four victory over LSU.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.” 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 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 to do so.
Mbah a Moute was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft. He got off to a quick start with the Milwaukee Bucks and became a fan favorite. On July 12, 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the Sacramento Kings.
KJ