Joaquim GOMES
#10 | Forward

Born in Luanda, Angola’s capital and largest city, Joaquim Gomes began his professional career for Petro Atvemco in 1998 and he was quickly recognised as one of the outstanding players in the league.

His first call up for international duty was to play in the 1998 FIBA Africa U22 Championship, while he was integrated the senior side a year later, where he has been an almost ever present member ever since.

For the 1999-2000 season, he made the short move to Petro de Luanda before spending three seasons in the NCAA with Valparaiso.

During his final season in the NCAA, he accumulated stats of 13.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

In 2002, at his first World Championship, Gomes averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

During the course of 2004, he moved to Europe where he played for a year with German club RheinEnergie Köln and a year with Dutch team Eiffel Towers Den Bosch.

His best performances for Angola arguably came in the 2006 World Championship, where he helped guide his country to an impressive ninth place, with displays that earned him stats of 15.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

His outstanding efforts for the national team have given him iconic status in Angola and his return in 2006 to the Angolan league was greeted with a hero’s welcome.

A lynchpin for the National Team, Gomes has been key in their total domination of the FIBA Africa Championship over the past decade.

At the age of 28 and considering the vast international experience he has accumulated already, Gomes’ level of performance is crucial if Angola are to put past disappointments behind them and make their mark on the world stage.

The combination of his powerful frame and energetic playing style give him tremendous natural athleticism resulting in an outstanding defensive game, while his shooting skills are sometimes underrated.