Dikembe Mutombo facts for kids
Mutombo in 2012
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 25, 1966 Kinshasa, DRC |
| Nationality | Congolese / American |
| Died | September 30, 2024 (aged 58) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| High school | Institute Boboto (Kinshasa, DR Congo) |
| Listed height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Georgetown (1988–1991) |
| NBA Draft | 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | |
| Pro career | 1991–2009 |
| Career history | |
| 1991–1996 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1996–2001 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2001–2002 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2002–2003 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2003–2004 | New York Knicks |
| 2004–2009 | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 11,729 (9.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 12,359 (10.3 rpg) |
| Blocks | 3,289 (2.8 bpg) |
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024) was a famous basketball player from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He played for 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People called him "Mount Mutombo" because he was an amazing defensive player and one of the best at blocking shots. He was also well-known for his kind heart and helping people around the world.
Standing at 7 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 260 pounds, Mutombo played as a center. He moved to the United States when he was 21 to play college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas. In 1991, the Denver Nuggets picked him fourth overall in the NBA draft. During his career, he played for six different teams. Mutombo reached the NBA Finals twice, first with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and then with the New Jersey Nets in 2003. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, which is tied for the most ever! He also led the NBA in blocked shots three times and in rebounds twice. He was chosen for eight All-Star teams.
Mutombo retired after the 2009 NBA playoffs. His jersey number 55 was retired by both the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks, meaning no other player on those teams can wear it. He was honored by being put into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
Dikembe Mutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was one of ten children. His father worked as a school principal. Dikembe learned to speak many languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, plus five Central African languages.
He went to Boboto College in Kinshasa, hoping to become a doctor. He also played soccer and did martial arts. When he was about 16, his father and brother encouraged him to try basketball because of his height. He moved to the United States in 1987 to go to college.
College Basketball Star
Mutombo went to Georgetown University on a scholarship. Even though he wanted to be a doctor, the Georgetown basketball coach, John Thompson, convinced him to play basketball. When he first arrived, he barely spoke English, so he studied in a special English program.
In his first year of college basketball, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a single game! He and his teammate, Alonzo Mourning, were so good at blocking shots that Georgetown fans created a special "Rejection Row" section. They would add a big hand silhouette to a banner for every shot blocked. Mutombo was named the best defensive player in the Big East Conference twice, in 1990 and 1991.
While at Georgetown, Mutombo also showed his interest in the world. He worked as an intern for the Congress of the United States and the World Bank. In 1991, he earned degrees in languages and diplomacy.
Professional Basketball Journey
Denver Nuggets (1991–1996)
In the 1991 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets chose Mutombo as the fourth overall pick. The Nuggets needed help with defense, and Mutombo's shot-blocking skills quickly made a big difference. In 1992, he started his famous "finger wag" move. After blocking a shot, he would wag his index finger at the player he blocked, as if saying "no, no, no." He even starred in an Adidas ad with the slogan "Man does not fly ... in the house of Mutombo." As a rookie, he was an All-Star and averaged impressive points, rebounds, and blocks.
Mutombo quickly became one of the NBA's best defensive players. In the 1993–94 season, he helped the Nuggets reach the playoffs as the eighth seed. They faced the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics. The Nuggets were down 0–2 in the series, but they won three straight games to make a huge upset! They were the first eighth seed to ever beat a number one seed in the NBA playoffs. At the end of the final game, Mutombo famously grabbed the game-winning rebound and fell to the floor, holding the ball up in pure joy. His 31 blocks in that series are still a record for a five-game series.
The next season, Mutombo was an All-Star again and won his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. After the 1995–96 season, Mutombo became a free agent and left the Nuggets.
Atlanta Hawks (1996–2001)
Mutombo then signed with the Atlanta Hawks. He helped the Hawks win over 50 games in two seasons. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award two more times with the Hawks, showing his continued defensive power. In the 1997 playoffs, the Hawks won their first series but then lost to the Chicago Bulls. In 1999, the NBA banned Mutombo's finger wag, but he found a way around it by wagging his finger at the crowd instead! In his last full season with the Hawks (1999–2000), he led the league in rebounds.
Philadelphia 76ers (2001–2002)
In 2001, the Hawks traded Mutombo to the Philadelphia 76ers. Before the trade, Mutombo played in the All-Star game and had a fantastic performance, helping his team win. The 76ers needed a strong big player to compete for a championship, and Mutombo was the perfect fit.
He won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award that season. In the 2001 playoffs, he helped the 76ers reach the NBA Finals. They won Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, which was the only playoff game the Lakers lost that year! However, the 76ers lost the series. Mutombo played very well against the Lakers' star, Shaq. After the season, he signed a new contract with the 76ers.
Later Career (2002–2009)
Mutombo was later traded to the New Jersey Nets in 2002. He dealt with a wrist injury that season, which limited his playing time. The Nets reached the Finals, but Mutombo couldn't play much. After one season, he joined the New York Knicks in 2003. Knicks fans loved his finger wag, and he continued to use it, pointing at the crowd.
Before the 2004–05 season, Mutombo was traded to the Houston Rockets. He teamed up with Yao Ming, forming a powerful duo of centers.
On January 10, 2007, Mutombo passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become second all-time in career blocked shots, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon. On March 2, 2007, at age 40, he became the oldest player in NBA history to get more than 20 rebounds in a game.
In the 2007–08 season, Mutombo played a lot when Yao Ming was injured. He helped the Rockets win 22 games in a row, which was a team record at the time! He signed with the Rockets again for the 2008–09 season, calling it his "farewell tour." In the playoffs, he suffered a knee injury that ended his amazing 18-season NBA career. He announced his retirement on April 23, 2009.
Player Skills and Legacy
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Dikembe Mutombo was known as one of the greatest defensive players in basketball history. His height, strength, and long arms made him an incredible shot-blocker. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times, which is a record he shares with only two other players.
Mutombo was famous for his amazing shot-blocking and rebounding. Throughout his career, he averaged 2.8 blocks and 10.3 rebounds per game. He blocked 3,289 shots in total, making him second all-time in NBA history for blocked shots. He is also among the top 20 rebounders ever. Besides his defense, Mutombo was also a good scorer, averaging at least 10 points per game until he was 35 years old.
His signature move was the "finger wag" after a block. At first, the NBA called it unsportsmanlike, but Mutombo found a way to keep doing it by wagging his finger at the crowd or TV cameras.
The Atlanta Hawks retired his number 55 jersey in 2015, and the Denver Nuggets did the same in 2016. This means his number will never be worn by another player on those teams. In 2015, Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a huge honor for basketball players.
Personal Life
Dikembe Mutombo was married to Rose, and they lived in Atlanta. They had three children together and also adopted four children from Rose's deceased brothers.
His son, Ryan Mutombo, also plays college basketball for Georgetown University, just like his father. Several of Mutombo's nephews, including Mfiondu Kabengele, have also played professional basketball. Mutombo became an American citizen.
Sadly, Dikembe Mutombo passed away on September 30, 2024, at the age of 58, after battling brain cancer.
Media Appearances
Mutombo appeared in a few movies, like Juwanna Mann and Like Mike in 2002. He also had a cameo in the 2021 film Coming 2 America.
He lent his voice to a fun online game called Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World. He also appeared in commercials for GEICO and Mobil 1, using his famous shot-blocking skills in funny ways.
Helping Others: Humanitarian Work
Dikembe Mutombo was a well-known humanitarian, meaning he worked to improve the lives of others. In 1997, he started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to help improve living conditions in his home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Because of his efforts, he won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award twice.
He was named one of the "Good Guys in Sports" and received the President's Service Awards, a high honor for volunteer work. In 2004, he joined the Basketball Without Borders program, where NBA stars traveled to Africa to promote basketball and help communities. He even paid for uniforms for the Zaire women's basketball team during the 1996 Olympic Games. Mutombo was also a spokesperson for the relief agency CARE and an ambassador for the United Nations Development Program.
Mutombo was a strong supporter of Special Olympics, which helps athletes with intellectual disabilities. He was on their international board and helped create "Unified Sports," where people with and without disabilities play together.
In 2007, he was invited to President George W. Bush's speech, where the president praised him as "a citizen of the United States of America." In 2011, he received the Goodermote Humanitarian Award for his work to reduce polio and improve health in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 2020, his foundation began building a modern school in the Democratic Republic of Congo, named the Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship, after his father.
Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital
In 1997, Mutombo began planning to build a large hospital in Kinshasa, his hometown. He personally donated $3.5 million to the project. The hospital, named Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital after his late mother, officially opened in 2007. It was the first modern medical facility built in that area in almost 40 years. The hospital is located on a 12-acre site and helps many people in need.
Other Contributions
Mutombo also served on the board of trustees for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a museum about the U.S. Constitution. In 2011, he traveled to South Sudan as a sports envoy for the U.S. Department of State, leading basketball clinics for youth and coaches. In 2020, he joined Ask The Doctor, a platform connecting people to healthcare professionals. In 2021, he started his own coffee company to support women coffee growers in Congo.
Images for kids
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Mutombo speaks at a 2006 press briefing
See also
- List of NBA career games played leaders
- List of NBA career rebounding leaders
- List of NBA career blocks leaders
- List of NBA career playoff blocks leaders
- List of NBA annual rebounding leaders
- List of NBA single-game rebounding leaders
- List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
