PublishedOctober 16, 2024, 9:37 p.m.
Basketball series – Episode 5Clint Capela: “I was shocked by <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/in-the-united-states-the-all-powerful-nfl-crushes-everything-in-its-path-even-the-nba/" title="In the United States, the all-powerful NFL crushes everything in its path, even the NBA“>Barack Obama’s English”
Ten years ago, the Genevan crossed the Atlantic to play in the NBA. From Chalon to Atlanta, his meetings with Kobe Bryant or Barack Obama, he recounts his journey.
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- Jeremy Santallo
Barack Obama, left, and Clint Capela.
Instagram screenshot.Thursday July 11. Like every summer, Clint Capela is back in Geneva. At 208 centimeters tall, the child from Meyrin walks his imposing figure in front of the Vergers school hall. He is there for his camp with the young people, which is in its fifth edition. Ten years ago, “CC” took the plunge towards the NBA and the United States. “I feel old,” he laughs. At 30 years old, the Atlanta Hawks pivot still has a few years ahead of him. For “Le Matin”, he agreed to review souvenir photos and tell what they evoke to him, during an “open book” interview in the cafeteria. In complete relaxation.
His meeting with Barack Obama
“It was the year 2018-2019. We had Chris Paul with us in Houston and Barack Obama was very close to him. They played golf together. The president was in Texas for a conference and was staying at a hotel. Chris suggested that I go see it with him.
»I remember there were bodyguards everywhere: in front of the hotel, in front of the elevator, inside, at the exit, in the corridor to the room. They opened the door and there, Barack. His English was so beautiful, I was shocked (laughs). There was also my old teammate Eric Gordon, our coach Mike D’Antoni, an old friend of Obama’s and the owner of a baseball team. We stayed in the suite talking, it was really cool.
»Barack said to me ‘so you’re Swiss and you come from Geneva?’ It was weird to hear that. I shared my difficulties of my year rookiethe first. One morning I got up and there was no water or electricity in my apartment. I forgot to put a self payment on a website. I told about my experience and Chris Paul told Barack Obama that we needed to better supervise young people or people who arrived in the United States for these things.
»Barack Obama is the most famous person I have met. I rubbed shoulders with guys from the France team, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann, I play FIFA online with Romelu Lukaku and am friends with Breel Embolo. I went to a concert once with Travis Scott in London. I’ve already praised Denzel Washington and Spike Lee. But Barack is Barack. We sat for four hours and it was a hell of a time.”
Episode 1: in Chalon, at the training center
Episode 2: in New York, for the NBA draft
Episode 3: in Houston, his first NBA game
Episode 4: in Los Angeles, his duel with Kobe Bryant
The next episode: with the Rockets, the regret of 2018
