Dikembe Mutombo | 1966-2024

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By David Jordan Jr

 

Georgetown University alum, NBA legend and Naismith Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo died today after a battle with brain cancer.

Mutombo, known for his “no-no-no:” finger wave on the basketball court and his philanthropic efforts in the United States and in his home of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, made his impact in the game of basketball and in the hearts and lives of those that crossed his path.

Drafted fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo’s impact was immediate, as he would be named to the 1992 NBA All Star game in his rookie season. One of the greatest rim protectors in the history of the NBA, Mutombo played for six NBA teams during his eighteen year career and would be voted to the NBA All Star Game eight times. Mutombo was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

He was an eight-time All-Star and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. He led the NBA in blocks in 1994, 1995 and 1996, and led the league in rebounds in 2000 and 2001. Both the Hawks and Nuggets have retired his number, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2007 Mutombo opened the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in honor of his late mother in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The worldly philanthropic efforts of Mutombo epitomize the person he was as a player on the court and as a human being in life; a person that did his part to for the greater good of everybody.

 

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