Rigoberto Mendoza (basketball)


Rigoberto Mendoza is a Dominican professional basketball player for Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional.

Professional career

Mendoza debuted in the Dominican league, where he played for Reales de La Vega. Later, he further gained experience in Spanish, Puerto Rican and Argentine basketball.
He joined Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional for the 2017–2018 season, the first in franchise history. His impact was felt immediately as he averaged 15.7 points, as well as 2.8 assists per game.
In his second season he stepped forward and improved in every aspect of the game, as his team's leader at the guard position. He maintained his 15 points and raised his assist average. He also stayed close to five rebounds per game.
In 2018–19, Mendoza had a stellar season and helped his team achieve 27 victories. He eventually became league's Most Valuable Player, despite not leading any of the statistical sections of the LNBP.
In the postseason, he led his team to the second final in team history.

National team

Mendoza has played for the Dominican Republic national basketball team on many occasions. At the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, he was one of the cornerstones of the team that surprisingly beat Germany and advanced to the second round instead of the heavily favored competitor.