Mbah a Moute longs to stay in Houston
Mbah a Moute stood in Houston City Hall seeming very much at home.
He was surrounded by the treasures of The Eye of Africa Exhibit, the kickoff event for Afro Culture Weekend 2018, hosted by the Luc Mbah a Moute Foundation. He visited with members of the Rockets’ front office. He even laughed and agreed when told his brother, Roger Moute a Bidias, had said after the Rockets’ summer league practice that he was the better athlete of the two.
Mbah a Moute, however, remains a free agent.
“Of course, I want to be here, yeah,” Mbah a Moute said. “I think we had a great year last year. I had a good year. The team did great, a game away from the Finals. Hopefully, we’ll bring everybody back. I know Trevor (Ariza) left. But to bring everybody else back and have the same team and try to go at it again, (that) is what I’m hoping to do. We’ll see what happens.”
Mbah a Moute is an unrestricted free agent after one season with the Rockets as a key part of the rotation off the bench. The Rockets do not have Bird rights to sign him, so they would be limited to their mid-level exLuc
ception, up to $5.3 million, and could want to use some of that money to help fill out the roster.
Keeping Mbah a Moute was always going to be a challenge after signing him for a veteran’s minimum contract last season, but he has become more important after Ariza’s deal with the Phoenix Suns. Less clear is what the market will be, with Ariza agreeing to a one-year, $15 million contract and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope getting $12 million, Anthony Tolliver $6 million and Jeff Green $2.3 million.
“It’s a tough market,” Mbah a Moute said. “I’m still waiting, trying to weigh my options, see what happens. We’ll see. This is still day five, six. It’s what I saw coming. Hopefully, we get something done.”
Bridging U.S., African gap
He was not waiting by the phone.
After Thursday’s African art exhibit — attended by Rockets president Tad Brown, vice president Gersson Rosas, general counsel Rafael Stone and scout Brent Johnson — Mbah a Moute will host Friday’s Taste of Africa Gala before Saturday’s charity soccer game pitting Team Mbah a Moute vs. Team Clint Capela at the Rice University Soccer Field.
“I always wanted to do something like this since I got in the NBA,” said Mbah a Moute, a native of Cameroon. “Doing it here is great. I really feel home here in Houston.
“I want to bridge the gap between African culture and American culture. Oftentimes, Africa is portrayed in a way that’s not positive, but there’s a lot of great things going on in Africa. For me to share that with people in Houston is pretty special.”
Mbah a Moute has enjoyed Houston’s particularly diverse African population. That is even true in the Rockets’ locker room, where Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon remains a frequent visitor. Capela is Swiss, but his parents emigrated from Africa with his mother from Congo and his father from Angola.
“There are many different African communities, communities that are represented here in Houston,” Mbah a Moute said. “We have artists from different countries in Africa. In the game on Saturday, we have people from different parts of Africa playing. That’s what it’s about and having fun and doing something different.”
Brother more athletic
He hopes to have another son of Cameroon on the Rockets. Moute a Bidias went undrafted out of California in 2017 and played for the Raptors 905 of the G League before he was released following a knee injury. He said playing with his brother “would be amazing,” but for now was happy to be with the same organization.
“I feel like I’m quite similar,” said Moute a Bidias. “I’m a great defender. I can rebound the ball. I can do a lot of little things and make open shots — I’m a good shooter — and get to the rim off of my athleticism.
“He said it’s a great organization. He loves coach (Mike) D’Antoni. The way they play is amazing. He’s given me good advice on how to fit the system.”
A 6-6 forward, Moute a Bidias is about two inches shorter than his brother, but said “I feel like I’m a little more athletic than my brother.” Mbah a Moute did not argue. “I think I was a better athlete at his age, too,” said Mbah a Moute, eight years older than his 23-year-old brother. “He’s a better athlete now, for sure. I’m excited he’s on the team. Roger is a good kid. He’s a good player. I think he’s in a good place. I’m excited to see what he does in summer league.”
Mbah a Moute will have to wait, however, to see if he will remain in the same good place, biding his time with a celebration in the city he found himself so at home.