| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 25) DR Congo |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mountain Mission School (Grundy, Virginia) |
| College | Baylor (2018–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Position | Power forward / center |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Florent Thamba (born 25 February 1999) is a Congolese basketball player. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference.
Early life
Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa. At age 16, he moved to the United States to attend Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, where he played basketball for three seasons. He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor over offers from Illinois, Virginia Tech and Nebraska.
College career
Thamba came off the bench during his first two years at Baylor. As a freshman, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. In his junior season, Thamba became a starter for one of the top teams in the nation. He averaged 3.6 points and four rebounds per game, helping Baylor win its first NCAA tournament title. On 26 February 2022, Thamba scored a career-high 18 points in a 80-70 victory against Kansas.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Baylor | 33 | 0 | 10.0 | .538 | – | .533 | 2.2 | .3 | .2 | .6 | 1.8 |
| 2019–20 | Baylor | 19 | 0 | 9.1 | .481 | – | .567 | 2.2 | .1 | .1 | .7 | 2.3 |
| 2020–21 | Baylor | 30 | 30 | 15.0 | .563 | – | .617 | 4.0 | .2 | .2 | .7 | 3.6 |
| Career | 82 | 30 | 11.6 | .540 | – | .579 | 2.8 | .2 | .2 | .7 | 2.6 | |
Personal life
Thamba's father, Emmanual, works in customs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His older brother, Levy, fatally fell from a hotel balcony in 2014 after consuming a marijuana edible.
References
- ^ Hawkins, Stephen (31 March 2021). "Baylor bigs: Flo, 'Everyday Jon' help make Bear guards great". Associated Press. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- Hayes, Tim (2 April 2021). "NCAA Final Four: Baylor's Thamba honed his skills at Grundy's Mountain Mission". Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ Goodman, Jeff (23 February 2021). "Flo Thamba's Path to Waco / How Baylor Was Built". Stadium. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- Hayes, Tim (4 April 2021). "Men's College Basketball: Baylor's Flo Thamba takes to the big stage". Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- "No. 10 Baylor rallies to beat No. 5 Kansas 80-70 in Big 12". ESPN. Associated Press. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- Moore, CJ (21 December 2020). "The tragedy that inspires Baylor center Flo Thamba". The Athletic. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
External links
| Baylor Bears basketball 2020–21 NCAA champions | |
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- 1999 births
- Living people
- Baylor Bears men's basketball players
- Democratic Republic of the Congo expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's basketball players
- Power forwards
- Centers (basketball)
- Basketball players from Kinshasa
- 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo people