When it comes to Cape Verde NBA talent and players, there isn’t much, except for the somewhat known Edy Tavares. While we haven’t seen many NBA players come from Cape Verde, they do have some basketball talent. Cape Verde’s greatest basketball accomplishment was the bronze medal at the AfroBasket 2007, when Cape Verde beat Egypt in its last game. They also qualified for AfroBasket 2013. As of now Tavares is the only NBA player from Cape Verde, but if and when there is another, we will update it below!
Cape Verde NBA Players:
In 2018, there are no NBA players from Cape Verde.
Walter Samuel “Edy” Tavares da Veiga:
This Cape Verdean pro basketball player was born on March 22nd, 1992. He played for the Real Madrid team in the EuroLeague and the Liga ACB. Picked 43rd in 2014 by the NBA, Tavares became part of the Atlanta Hawks. He was also an international player in Cape Verde’s national basketball team.
While he was initially underestimated, Tavares measures an impressive 7’3″ and has a wingspan of 7’9″. Born on the Maio island in Cape Verde, this player did not actually play basketball until the age of seventeen. A German tourist discovered his talent when on vacation in the area in 2009.
When in the Atlanta Hawks, Tavares was the first Cape Verdean native to be a part of the NBA. However, in August 2014, he returned to Gran Canaria for the coming season. From 2014-2015, this player received the All-Euro Cup honors for the First Team.
He also played for the Cavs and the Raptors D League. Currently, he has been a part of Real Madrid since 2017 and is expected to stay until 2020. Because Tavares is just 26 years old it is possible that he will get another look from an NBA team in the future, especially if he can improve his outside shot.
