If his record deserves respect, the history surrounding him has always revealed something even stronger. Before realizing his dream by joining the United States and the Dallas Mavericks in 2004, Mbenga had only played basketball for three years at the highest level in Belgium (in Gilly, Louvain and Spirou de Charleroi). And it had only been five years since he found refuge in our country after fleeing the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the age of 17. Admit that the course stands out…
The one we nickname “DJ” certainly embodies resilience. This week, he is visiting Belgium to put his experience at the service of leaders and entrepreneurs, to pass on to them the mental tools that forge lasting success. Alongside other high-level athletes such as Cynthia Bolingo in particular, the former professional basketball player will participate this Friday, November 21 in Brussels in a conference on elite performance and mentality (The Resilient : Sport & Business SummitNovember 21, 2025, from 5 to 9 p.m., at The Merode).
One day before the event, we were able to meet him, discreetly, in a Brussels hotel. To talk about this project and basketball, inevitably.
Didier Mbenga, how are you? Happy to come back to Belgium, you who live most often in Dallas?
I’m doing very well, thank you. Glad to be in Belgium. It’s my home here, and I’m there very often to see family or friends.
This time, it is also The Resilient – Sport & Business Summit event that attracts you.
Indeed, I am here to share my experience and my experiences with entrepreneurs. I find it interesting to give back to the community what I have learned during my career and my life. In my talks, I will discuss the obstacles I encountered, but also the ways in which I overcame them. During the conference, the objective is to provide mental keys that can help an entrepreneur succeed.
During your career, has your mind been one of your greatest strengths?
Certainly. In professional life or in sport, there are always hiccups. And when you fall, the best way to get back on track is to get back up. As a player, I suffered two serious injuries, but I recovered each time looking to get back to the best level. It’s this state of mind that I like. It may not all end in success, but I’m trying.
Besides, a player on the Belgian national team at the time didn’t see you reaching the NBA. However, you believed in it and you finally succeeded…
I wasn’t taken seriously and I kept that deep inside me as a positive energy, as a challenge. By achieving my goal, I made this teammate understand that anything was possible. That if I could do it, he could do it too.
Have you always had this mentality?
I built it from my childhood. I’ve experienced so much, including injustice because of my size (NdlR : 2,13 m). It strengthened me. I’m over it. I focused on myself and my ambitions. Enough to seize every opportunity to the fullest, without giving up anything. This is what allowed me to get to the NBA.
Retired as a player since 2014, are you still active in basketball?
Yes, because I still have a role as NBA ambassador in Africa. I work in particular on basketball development projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I am also a sports and climate ambassador.
We can therefore imagine that you still follow the NBA.
Obviously. Basketball and the NBA are part of me forever. Even if it has changed a little…
At what level?
I talk about that feeling after matches. In my time, when we finished a game, we felt like we had fought. Players no longer return this image. Much less anyway. But what do you want? Everything evolves. Before we had the Nokia 3310, now we have the iPhone (laughs).
And we also have two Belgians on the floor : Ajay Mitchell and Toumani Camara. Is Belgium lucky?
Yes, we can rejoice about it and me first! I broke the myth of the NBA being inaccessible. I dared in the 2000s and I am happy that other Belgian players are following me. It must be said that I would never have achieved it alone. I was lucky to be well surrounded, with coaches like Bastianini or Weatherspoon, and Willy Steveniers who launched my career.
What do you think of Ajay Mitchell? Champion in his first NBA season in 2024-2025, he is in very good form at the moment with Oklahoma City with more than 16 points on average per game.
He is a talented player and we must highlight what he has accomplished so far. However, he must continue to work hard to raise his level again and again. Landing in the NBA is one thing, staying there is another. I played it for 7 years and it wasn’t a coincidence. I worked like crazy.
Toumani Camara has a more defensive profile with Portland, a bit like you.
And that’s not a problem. When you get to the NBA, you have to focus on what you do best : enter the racket, shoot or defend. Once you master this, you can then develop other skills. Hence the importance of always working and staying focused.
You told me behind the scenes that the NBA could make you crazy. What are you talking about? Money in particular?
You have to know how to dominate money and put priority over other things. If you don’t do this, you lose sense of reality. But it’s not just the money. There is also everything that goes around. I’ll spare you the details…
Let’s come back to the decision of our two representatives in the NBA not to play the last Euro basketball with the national team. Do you understand it?
Absolutely not. In their place, I would have done everything to honor my country. By playing this Euro with the Belgian Lions, they had the opportunity to increase their value in the NBA. They didn’t get it. This is perhaps the biggest mistake of their career. They did not give a positive signal. And I’m going to give them some advice the day they come to join the national team : come to play and not for the money. Come to honor this Belgium jersey, nothing else.
Thank you Didier Mbenga for this interview. Finally, what can we wish you for the future?
To simply be healthy.
