Jump to content

Dikembe Mutombo

Checked
Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Dikembe" and "Mutombo" redirect here. For other uses, see Dikembe (disambiguation) and Mutombo (name).

Dikembe Mutombo
Mutombo in 2012
Personal information
Born(1966-06-25)June 25, 1966
Léopoldville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DiedSeptember 30, 2024(2024-09-30) (aged 58)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
NationalityCongolese / American
Listed height7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight260 lb (118 kg)[1]
Career information
High schoolInstitute Boboto (Kinshasa, DR Congo)
CollegeGeorgetown University (1988–1991)
NBA draft1991: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Playing career1991–2009
PositionCenter
Number55
Career history
1991–1996Denver Nuggets
1996–2001Atlanta Hawks
2001–2002Philadelphia 76ers
2002–2003New Jersey Nets
2003–2004New York Knicks
2004–2009Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points11,729 (9.8 ppg)
Rebounds12,359 (10.3 rpg)
Blocks3,289 (2.8 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Basketball Hall of Fame

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024) was a Congolese-American professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Mount Mutombo" for his defensive prowess, he is commonly regarded as one of the greatest shot-blockers and defensive players of all time. Outside of basketball, he was known for his humanitarian work.

A 7-foot-2-inch (2.18 m) center, Mutombo moved to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to attend Georgetown University with the hope of eventually earning a medical degree and returning to the DRC to practice medicine. Those plans changed when John Thompson, coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, recruited him to play college basketball. Mutombo played three seasons for Georgetown, establishing a reputation as a tenacious defender.

In 1991 the Denver Nuggets chose him with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. During his NBA career, he played for six teams, in the NBA Finals for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and for the New Jersey Nets in 2003. He received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, tied with Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert for the most awards. He led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams. As of the 2023-2024 NBA season, he ranks second among NBA career leaders in blocked shots.

At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo retired and his number 55 jersey was retired by the Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Early life

[edit]

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Léopoldville, Democratic Republic of the Congo[2][3] to Samuel and Biamba Marie Mutombo. Dikembe had 9 siblings.[4][5][6] His father worked as a school principal and then in Congo's department of education.[7] Dikembe spoke French, Spanish, Portuguese and five Central African languages including Lingala and Tshiluba.[8][9] He was a member of the Luba ethnic group.[10]

For high school, Dikembe Mutombo went to Boboto College in Kinshasa to lay the groundwork for his medical career as the classes were more challenging there. He played football and participated in martial arts.[7] At about 16, Mutombo decided to concentrate on his basketball career at the encouragement of his father and brother due to his height.[7][11] He moved to the United States in 1987 at the age of 21 to enroll in college.[12]

College career

[edit]

Mutombo attended Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship. He originally intended to become a doctor, but the Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John Thompson recruited him to play basketball.[13][14] He spoke almost no English when he arrived at Georgetown and studied in the ESL program.[15][16]

During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a game.[17] Building on the shot-blocking power of Mutombo and teammate Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown fans created a "Rejection Row" section under the basket, adding a big silhouette of an outstretched hand to a banner for each shot blocked during the game.[18][19] Mutombo was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1990 (shared with Mourning) and in 1991.[20]

At Georgetown, Mutombo's international background and interests stood out. Like many other Washington-area college students, he served as a summer intern, once for Robert Matsui, a member of the Congress of the United States from California, and once at the World Bank.[21] In 1991, he graduated with bachelor's degrees in linguistics and diplomacy.[22][23]

Professional athletic career

[edit]

Denver Nuggets (1991–1996)

[edit]

In the 1991 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets selected Mutombo with the fourth overall pick.[24] The Nuggets ranked last in the NBA in opponent points-per-game and Defensive Rating,[25] and Mutombo's shot-blocking ability made an immediate impression across the league. He developed his signature move, in which he would celebrate every blocked shot by pointing his right index finger at the opposing player and moving it side to side,[26] in 1992 as a way to become more marketable and gain product-endorsement contracts.[27] That year, Mutombo starred in an Adidas advertisement that used the catchphrase "Man does not fly ... in the house of Mutombo", a reference to his prolific shot-blocking.[28]

As a rookie, Mutombo was selected for the All-Star team and averaged 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game.[29] Mutombo quickly began to establish himself as one of the league's best defensive players, regularly putting up big rebound and block numbers.

The 1993–94 season saw Denver continue to improve with Mutombo as the franchise cornerstone. During that season, Mutombo averaged 12.0 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and 4.1 blocks per game.[30] With that, he helped the Nuggets finish with a 42–40 record and qualify as the eighth seed in the playoffs. They were matched up with the top-seeded 63–19 Seattle SuperSonics in the first round.[31]

After falling to an 0–2 deficit in the five-game series, Denver won three straight games to pull off a major playoff upset, becoming the first eighth seed to defeat a number one seed in an NBA playoff series.[31] At the end of Game 5, Mutombo memorably grabbed the game-winning rebound and fell to the ground, holding the ball over his head in a moment of joy.[32] Mutombo's defensive presence was the key to the upset victory; his total of 31 blocks remains a record for a five-game series.[28] In the second round of the playoffs, the Nuggets fell to the Utah Jazz, 4–3.[31]

The next season, Mutombo was selected for his second All-Star game and received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Denver failed to build on its success from the previous playoffs, as Mutombo lacked a quality supporting cast around him.

During his last season with the Nuggets, Mutombo averaged 11.0 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and a career-high 4.5 blocks per game.[33] At the conclusion of the 1995–96 season, Mutombo became a free agent, and reportedly sought a ten-year contract, something the Nuggets considered impossible to offer. Bernie Bickerstaff, then the Nuggets' general manager, later said not bringing back Mutombo was his biggest regret as GM.[34]

Atlanta Hawks (1996–2001)

[edit]

After the 1995–96 NBA season, Mutombo signed a five-year, $55 million free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks.[35][36] He and Hawks All-Star Steve Smith led Atlanta to back-to-back 50+-win seasons in 1996–97 (56–26) and 1997–98 (50–32). Mutombo won Defensive Player of the Year both years, continuing to put up excellent defensive numbers with the Hawks.

In the 1997 NBA Playoffs, the Hawks defeated the Detroit Pistons in five games. In Game 1 of that series, Mutombo led all scorers and rebounders, with 26 points and 15 rebounds respectively, in a 89–75 win over the Pistons.[37] In the next round, despite Mutombo averaging a double-double and 2.6 blocks per game, the Hawks lost in five games to the defending champion Chicago Bulls.[38]

The following season, on April 9, 1998, Mutombo scored 20 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in a 105–102 loss to the Indiana Pacers.[39] That season ended in disappointment for Mutombo and the Hawks, as despite finishing with a similar record to the previous season, Mutombo averaged only 8.0 points and 12.8 rebounds a game while the Hawks lost to their division rival Charlotte Hornets three games to one in the first round.[40]

During the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, he was the NBA's IBM Award winner, a player of the year award determined by a computerized formula. That year, the NBA banned the Mutombo finger wag, and after a period of protest, he complied with the new rule.[41]

In his last full season with the Hawks during the 1999–00 season, Mutombo averaged 11.5 points per game, a career and league-high 14.1 rebounds per game and 3.3 blocks per game. On December 14, 1999, Mutombo scored 27 points, on 11-for-11 shooting from the field, grabbed a season-high 29 rebounds and recorded a game-high six blocks to pull out the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[42]

Philadelphia 76ers (2001–2002)

[edit]
Mutombo with the 76ers in 2002

At the February 2001 trade deadline, the Hawks traded Mutombo to the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers, along with Roshown McLeod, in exchange for Toni Kukoč, future teammates Pepe Sánchez and Nazr Mohammed, and injured center Theo Ratliff.[43] One week earlier, Mutombo played in the All-Star game; he led the game with 22 rebounds and three blocks. Along with game MVP Allen Iverson and coach Larry Brown, both of the 76ers, the East rallied from a 95–74 fourth-quarter deficit to win 111–110 on Mutombo and Iverson's strong performances.[44]

After the game, rumors began of a trade sending Mutombo to Philadelphia.[45] With Ratliff out for the remainder of the year, the Sixers needed a big man to compete with potential matchups against Western Conference powers Vlade Divac, Tim Duncan, David Robinson or Shaquille O'Neal, should they reach the NBA Finals.[46]

Mutombo earned his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award that season. During the 2001 playoffs, they defeated the Indiana Pacers in four games, the Toronto Raptors in seven games and the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven-game series. During Game 7 against the Bucks, Mutombo scored 23 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked seven shots to win the series.[47] Mutombo helped the Sixers reach the NBA Finals. After pulling off an upset and winning Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers (the only playoff game the Lakers lost in 2001), the Sixers lost the next four games and the series. Matched up against Shaquille O'Neal, Mutombo averaged 16.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. A free agent, he re-signed with the Sixers after the season to a four-year, $68 million contract.[48]

The 2001–02 season marked the final time in Mutombo's career that he averaged double-digit points or rebounds, as he started 80 games for Philadelphia, although they lost in the first round of the playoffs.[3]

New Jersey Nets (2002–2003)

[edit]

On August 7, 2002, the 76ers traded Mutombo to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch.[49] The Nets were coming off a sweep in the Finals where they were overmatched by Shaq, and brought in Mutombo as the missing piece to a championship,[50] similar to what the Sixers did two seasons prior.

Mutombo spent most of the season with a nagging wrist injury that limited him to 24 games.[51] He was generally unable to play in the playoffs, typically serving as a sixth man during the Nets' second consecutive Finals run, in which they lost to the Spurs in six games.[52] After one contentious season in New Jersey, the Nets bought out the remaining two years on his contract.[53]

New York Knicks (2003–2004)

[edit]

In October 2003, he signed a two-year deal with the New York Knicks.[54] After a dominant performance against the crosstown rival New Jersey Nets that included 10 blocks, Knicks fans began waving their fingers, as Mutombo once did. He chose to respond in kind after a referee told him that as long as the gesture was not directed at a particular player, the league would not punish him.[41] In August 2004, the Knicks traded him to the Chicago Bulls, along with Cezary Trybański, Othella Harrington and Frank Williams in exchange for Jerome Williams and Jamal Crawford.[55]

Houston Rockets (2004–2009)

[edit]

Prior to the 2004–05 season, the Bulls traded Mutombo to the Houston Rockets for Mike Wilks, Eric Piatkowski and Adrian Griffin.[56] Yao Ming and Mutombo formed one of the NBA's most productive center combos. In his first season with the Rockets, Mutombo averaged 15.2 minutes per game, 4.0 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 1.3 blocks per game. The Rockets lost in the first round that year to the Dallas Mavericks.

Mutombo with the Houston Rockets in 2006

On January 10, 2007, in a 102–77 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers, Mutombo recorded five blocked shots and surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in total career blocked shots, trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon.[57]

On March 2, 2007, in a win over the Denver Nuggets at age 40, Mutombo became the oldest player in NBA history to record more than 20 rebounds in a game, with 22.[58] In the 2007–08 season, Mutombo received extensive playing time when Yao went down with a broken bone and averaged double digits in rebounding as a starter. In midst of a 10-game winning streak at the time of Yao's injury, Mutombo stepped in and helped the Rockets win 12 more games to complete a 22-game winning streak, then a team record.[59][60]

After contemplating retirement and spending the first part of 2008 as an unsigned free agent, on December 31, 2008, Mutombo signed with the Houston Rockets for the remainder of the 2008–09 season. He said that 2009 would be his "farewell tour" and his final season; he was the oldest player in the NBA in 2009.[61] In Game 1 of Houston's first-round playoff series against Portland, Mutombo played for 18 minutes and had nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal.[62]

In the second quarter of Game Two, Mutombo landed awkwardly and had to be carried from the floor. After the game, he said that surgery was needed and that his NBA career was over.[61][63] It was later confirmed that the quadriceps tendon of his left knee had been ruptured.[64] Mutombo announced his retirement on April 23, 2009, after 18 seasons in the NBA.[63]

Player profile

[edit]
Mutombo playing for the Houston Rockets in 2006

The 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 260 lb (120 kg) Mutombo played center, where he was regarded as one of the top inside defenders of all time. Nicknamed "Mt. Mutombo", his combination of height, power and long arms led to a record-tying four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, a feat equaled only by Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert. Mutombo was among the top three players in Defensive Player of the Year voting for nine consecutive seasons from 1994 to 2002.[3] Staples of Mutombo's defensive prowess were his outstanding shot-blocking and rebounding power. Over his career, he averaged 2.8 blocks and 10.3 rebounds per game. Mutombo blocked 3,289 shots; at the time of his death on September 30, 2024, he was second all-time in blocked shots behind Hakeem Olajuwon.[65] Mutombo is the 20th-most-prolific rebounder ever.[66] He was also an eight-time All-Star and was elected into three All-NBA and six All-Defensive Teams.[3] Along with his defensive prowess, Mutombo also contributed offensively, averaging at least 10 points per game until he reached age 35.[3]

Mutombo also achieved a certain level of on-court notoriety. After a successful block, he was known for taunting his opponents by waving his index finger, like a parent reproaching a disobedient child. Later in his career, NBA officials responded to the gesture with a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. To avoid the technical foul, Mutombo took to waving his finger at the crowd or the TV cameras after a block, which is not considered taunting by the rules.[67] Additionally, he was known for injuring several NBA players including Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Patrick Ewing, Chauncey Billups, Ray Allen, Yao Ming, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady due to his practice of flailing his elbows. His former teammate Yao Ming made a joke about it: "I need to talk to Coach to have Dikembe held out of practice, because if he hits somebody in practice, it's our teammate. At least in the games, it's 50/50."[68]

The Atlanta Hawks retired Mutombo's number 55 jersey on November 24, 2015,[69] and the Denver Nuggets did the same on October 29, 2016.[70] On September 11, 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[71] He received the Sager Strong Award on June 25, 2018.[72]

Personal life

[edit]
Mutombo speaks at an August 2006 press briefing at the New York Foreign Press Center

In 1987, Mutombo's 6-foot-10-inch (2.08 m) older brother, Ilo, began playing college basketball in Division II for the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles as a 26-year-old freshman. The brothers played against each other in a 1990 college basketball game at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.[73]

Mutombo met his wife, Rose, during a visit to Kinshasa in 1995. They lived in Atlanta and had three children.[74] They also adopted four children of Rose's deceased brothers.[75][76] Dikembe and Rose's son, Ryan Mutombo, was ranked as the 16th-best high school center in the United States. In 2021, he committed to attend his father's alma mater Georgetown University in D.C. and play for its basketball team,[77] which he did for two seasons.[78]

Two of Mutombo's nephews, Harouna Mutombo and Mfiondu Kabengele, have played professional basketball. Harouna Mutombo was the leading scorer at Western Carolina University for the Catamounts in 2009. He was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year;[79] he later played professional basketball in Serbia.[80] Mfiondu Kabengele played college basketball at Florida State University and was the 2018–19 ACC Sixth Man of the Year.[81] He was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft and signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.[82] He played in the NBA for the Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics.[83] Another of Mutombo's nephews, Haboubacar Mutombo, also played basketball for Western Carolina.[80][84]

In July 2001, at the federal trial of an Atlanta club owner charged with facilitating prostitution, a former stripper testified that she and two others once performed oral sex on Mutombo at The Gold Club, a strip club.[85][86][87]

Mutombo became a naturalized American citizen in 2006.[88][89][90][91]

Mutombo witnessed the 2016 Brussels bombings at Brussels Airport on March 22, 2016. Shortly after the bombings, he posted a report on his Facebook page saying that he was safe.[92]

Death

[edit]

On October 15, 2022, Mutombo's family announced that he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.[93] On September 30, 2024, Mutombo died due to brain cancer in Atlanta at the age of 58.[91][94][95]

Media

[edit]

Mutombo made a cameo appearance in the 2002 films Juwanna Mann and Like Mike, which mentioned his name in its theme song "Basketball".[96][97] In 2012, his voice and likeness were used in a 16-bit-style Flash game released by Old Spice humorously titled Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World.[98]

Mutombo appeared in a GEICO auto insurance commercial in February 2013, parodying his shot-blocking ability by applying it to real world situations.[99] He co-starred with Kevin Harvick in a Mobil 1 commercial for its annual protection brand of motor oil, saying "Don't change your oil."[100] Mutombo had a brief cameo in the 2021 film Coming 2 America as himself.[101]

Humanitarian work

[edit]
Mutombo speaks to the Senegalese population about the importance of sleeping under mosquito nets

Dikembe Mutombo was a well-known humanitarian.[102] He created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997. His work earned him the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009. For his feats, Sporting News named him as one of the "Good Guys in Sports" in 1999 and 2000.[103] In 1999, he was selected as one of 20 winners of the President's Service Awards, the nation's highest honor for volunteer service.[103]

In 2004, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders NBA program, where NBA stars such as Shawn Bradley, Malik Rose and DeSagana Diop toured Africa to spread the word about basketball and to improve the infrastructure.[103] He paid for uniforms and expenses for the Zaire women's basketball team during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.[103] Mutombo was a spokesman for the international relief agency, CARE and was the first youth emissary for the United Nations Development Program.[76]

Mutombo was a longtime supporter of Special Olympics and a member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, as well as a Global Ambassador.[104] He was a pioneer of Unified Sports, which brings together people with and without intellectual disabilities. He played in the Unity Cup in South Africa before the 2010 World Cup Quarterfinal, along with South African President Jacob Zuma and Special Olympics athletes from around the world.[105] Mutombo joined his second Unity Cup team in 2012.[106]

Honoring his humanitarianism, Mutombo was invited to President George W. Bush's 2007 State of the Union Address, where the president said "We are proud to call this son of the Congo a citizen of the United States of America".[107] Mutombo said, "My heart was full of joy. I didn't know the President was going to say such great remarks."[108]

On April 13, 2011, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health gave Mutombo the Goodermote Humanitarian Award "for his efforts to reduce polio globally as well as his work improving the health of neglected and underserved populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo."[109] Michael J. Klag, dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, said "Mr. Mutombo is a winner in many ways—on the court and as a humanitarian. His work has improved the health of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center is a model for the region. Likewise, Mr. Mutombo has been instrumental in the fight against polio by bolstering vaccination efforts and bringing treatment to victims of the disease."[109]

In 2020, the Mutombo Foundation began construction of a modern pre-K through 6th-grade school in the Democratic Republic of Congo, named for his father, who died in 2003. The Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship is located outside the city of Mbuji-Mayi.[110][111]

Mutombo was awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater Georgetown University in 2010.[112] He also received an honorary doctorate from Haverford College in May 2011.[113] In November 2015, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced Mutombo as a recipient of its Silver Anniversary Awards for 2016. The announcement cited both his basketball career and extensive humanitarian work.[114]

In 1997, the Mutombo Foundation began plans to open a $29 million, 300-bed hospital on the outskirts of his hometown, the Congolese capital of Kinshasa. Ground was broken in 2001, but construction didn't start until 2004, as he had trouble getting donations early on although he personally donated $3.5 million toward the hospital's construction.[76] Initially he had other difficulties and almost lost the land to the government because it was not being used and having to pay refugees who had begun farming the land to leave. Mutombo also struggled to reassure some that he did not have any ulterior or political motives for the project.[76] The project has been on the whole very well received at all social and economic levels in Kinshasa.[76] On August 14, 2006, Mutombo donated $15 million to the completion of the hospital for the ceremonial opening on September 2, 2006. By then it was named Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, for his late mother, who died of a stroke in 1997.[115] When it opened in 2007, the $29 million facility became the first modern medical facility to be built in that area in nearly 40 years.[116] The hospital is on a 12-acre (49,000 m2) site on the outskirts of Kinshasa in Masina, where about a quarter of the city's 7.5 million residents live in poverty. It is near N'djili Airport and by a busy open-air market.

Mutombo served on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which is a museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution.[117]

In 2011, Mutombo traveled to South Sudan as a SportsUnited sports envoy for the US Department of State. He worked with Sam Perkins to lead a series of basketball clinics and team-building exercises with 50 youths and 36 coaches helping contribute to the State Department's mission to remove barriers and create a world in which individuals with disabilities enjoy dignity and full inclusion in society.[118]

In April 2020, Mutombo joined the website Ask the Doctor as their chief global officer. Ask the Doctor is a platform that connects people from all over the world to top doctors and healthcare professionals.[119]

In 2021, he created an eponymous coffee company, initially focused on the Congo to foster women growers' participation in international commerce.[111]

Career statistics

[edit]
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

NBA

[edit]

Source:[3]

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1991–92 Denver 71 71 38.3 .493 – .642 12.3 2.2 .6 3.0 16.6
1992–93 Denver 82 82 36.9 .510 – .681 13.0 1.8 .5 3.5 13.8
1993–94 Denver 82 82 34.8 .569 .000 .583 11.8 1.5 .7 4.1* 12.0
1994–95 Denver 82* 82* 37.8 .556 – .654 12.5 1.4 .5 3.9* 11.5
1995–96 Denver 74 74 36.7 .499 .000 .695 11.8 1.5 .5 4.5* 11.0
1996–97 Atlanta 80 80 37.2 .527 – .705 11.6 1.4 .6 3.3 13.3
1997–98 Atlanta 82* 82* 35.6 .537 – .670 11.4 1.0 .4 3.4 13.4
1998–99 Atlanta 50* 50* 36.6 .512 – .684 12.2 1.1 .3 2.9 10.8
1999–00 Atlanta 82 82* 36.4 .562 – .708 14.1* 1.3 .3 3.3 11.5
2000–01 Atlanta 49 49 35.0 .477 – .695 14.1 1.1 .4 2.8 9.1
2000–01 Philadelphia 26 26 33.7 .495 – .759 12.4* .8 .3 2.5 11.7
2001–02 Philadelphia 80 80 36.3 .501 – .764 10.8 1.0 .4 2.4 11.5
2002–03 New Jersey 24 16 21.4 .374 – .727 6.4 .8 .2 1.5 5.8
2003–04 New York 65 56 23.0 .478 – .681 6.7 .4 .3 1.9 5.6
2004–05 Houston 80 2 15.2 .498 – .741 5.3 .1 .2 1.3 4.0
2005–06 Houston 64 23 14.9 .526 – .758 4.8 .1 .3 .9 2.6
2006–07 Houston 75 33 17.2 .556 – .690 6.5 .2 .3 1.0 3.1
2007–08 Houston 39 25 15.9 .538 – .711 5.1 .1 .3 1.2 3.0
2008–09 Houston 9 2 10.7 .385 – .667 3.7 .0 .0 1.2 1.8
Career 1196 997 30.8 .518 .000 .684 10.3 1.0 .4 2.8 9.8
All-Star 8 3 17.5 .595 – .750 9.3 .3 .4 1.2 6.3

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1994 Denver 12 12 42.6 .463 – .602 12.0 1.8 .7 5.8* 13.3
1995 Denver 3 3 28.0 .600 – .667 6.3 .3 .0 2.3 6.0
1997 Atlanta 10 10 41.5 .628* – .719 12.3 1.3 .1 2.6 15.4
1998 Atlanta 4 4 34.0 .458 – .625 12.8 .3 .3 2.3 8.0
1999 Atlanta 9 9 42.2 .563 – .702 13.9* 1.2 .6 2.6 12.6
2001 Philadelphia 23 23 42.7 .490 .000 .777 13.7 .7 .7 3.1* 13.9
2002 Philadelphia 5 5 34.6 .452 – .615 10.6 .6 .4 1.8 8.8
2003 New Jersey 10 0 11.5 .467 – 1.000 2.7 .6 .3 .9 1.8
2004 New York 3 0 12.7 .333 – 1.000 3.3 .0 .3 1.3 2.3
2005 Houston 7 0 14.4 .545 – .769 5.0 .3 .3 1.0 3.1
2007 Houston 7 0 5.7 1.000 – 1.000 1.6 .1 .0 .4 1.3
2008 Houston 6 6 20.5 .615 – .636 6.5 .3 .2 1.8 3.8
2009 Houston 2 0 10.0 .000 – – 4.5 .0 .5 1.0 .0
Career 101 72 30.9 .517 .000 .703 9.5 .8 .4 2.5 9.1

College

[edit]

Source[120]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1988–89 Georgetown 33 0 11.3 .707 – .479 3.3 .2 .3 2.3 3.9
1989–90 Georgetown 31 24 25.7 .709 – .598 10.5 .6 .4 4.1 10.7
1990–91 Georgetown 32 32 34.1 .586 – .703 12.2 1.6 .6 4.7 15.2
Career 96 56 23.6 .644 – .641 8.6 .8 .4 3.7 9.9

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo". NBA Stats. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo". www.britannica.com. August 17, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Dikembe Mutombo Archived September 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. basketball-reference.com
  4. ^ Khan, Brooke (November 5, 2019). Home of the brave : an American history book for kids : 15 immigrants who shaped U.S. history. López de Munáin, Iratxe, 1985–. Emeryville, Calif.: Rockridge Press. ISBN 978-1-64152-780-4. OCLC 1128884800.
  5. ^ Robbins, Lix (April 19, 2003). "After a Death, Mutombo Seeks Solace in His Game". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  6. ^ Whitley, Heather (February 16, 2014). "Big hands and a big heart save tiny lives in The Congo". CNN. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Augustyn, Adam (June 21, 2021). "Dikembe Mutombo". Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Maske, Mark (January 22, 1991). "Dikembe Mutombo Is a Big Man With Some Big Potential". The Washington Post. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  9. ^ Telander, Rick (November 7, 1994). "World Class". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  10. ^ Robbins, Liz (December 25, 2002). "Mutombo Works to Build Legacy Off Court". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  11. ^ Mark Maske (January 22, 1991). "Dikembe Mutombo Is a Big Man With Some Big Potential". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  12. ^ Stein, Marc (January 19, 2007). "Mutombo says enough to questioning his age". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  13. ^ Tam, Eva (November 7, 2013). "Dikembe Mutombo on Life After the NBA". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  14. ^ Vivlamore, Chris (September 10, 2015). "Mutombo's humanitarian efforts greater through basketball". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  15. ^ Moran, Malcolm (March 1, 1990). "Strong Hoya Defense Defeats Connecticut". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  16. ^ Heath, Thomas (April 6, 1995). "Beyond hoop dreams". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  17. ^ Powell, Shuan (September 10, 2015). "Mutombo: Protector of the paint and his homeland". NBA. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  18. ^ Davis, Ken (February 12, 1989). "Georgetown Has an Impenetrable Wall With Mourning, Mutombo". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 3, 2016 – via Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^ Wolff, Alexander (March 20, 1989). "Two centers of attention". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  20. ^ "Men's Basketball Records – All-Big East Teams". bigeast.org. Archived from the original on November 17, 2002. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  21. ^ Love, Lawrence (November 20, 2009). "Man Cannot Fly in the House of Mutombo". GQ. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  22. ^ "Basketball Star Dikembe Mutombo on Sports, Leadership". United States Department of State. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  23. ^ Jolley, David (October 22, 2022). "Dikembe Mutombo has always made things better ... on and off the court". Times Leader.
  24. ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 28, 1991). "The Final Word on Draft: Trades". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  25. ^ "1990–91 Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  26. ^ Sheridan, Chris (April 30, 2009). "Mutombo's legacy to last beyond hoops". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  27. ^ Blau, Max (June 4, 2014). "How Dikembe Mutombo's Finger Changed The NBA". BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  28. ^ a b "Denver Nuggets A to Z: Dikembe Mutombo". NBA. August 13, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  29. ^ Rubinstein, Julian (December 20, 1992). "MUTOMBO: BIG STAR OVER THE ROCKIES". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  30. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo 1993–94 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com.
  31. ^ a b c "Eighth-Seeded Nuggets Upset Sonics". NBA. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  32. ^ Schaller, Jake (April 22, 2009). "Mutombo memories". The Gazette. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  33. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo 1995–96 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com.
  34. ^ Dempsey, Christopher (September 11, 2015). "Bickerstaff: 'Only regret' as Nuggets GM was not re-signing Mutombo". The Denver Post. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  35. ^ "Hawks Get Big With Mutombo". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. July 16, 1996. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  36. ^ "Shot-blocking Star Mutombo Goes To Hawks". Chicago Tribune. July 16, 1996. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  37. ^ "Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks Box Score, April 25, 1997". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  38. ^ "1997 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals – Hawks vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  39. ^ "Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks Box Score, April 9, 1998". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  40. ^ "1998 NBA Eastern Conference First Round – Hawks vs. Hornets". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  41. ^ a b Pierce, Damien (November 17, 2006). "Mount Mutombo". NBA. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  42. ^ "NBA Report/Mutombo a One-Man Show: 27 Points and 29 Rebounds". Newsday. December 14, 1999. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  43. ^ Smith, Stephen A. (February 23, 2001). "Sixers Land Mutombo, But Not Without Cost". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  44. ^ "2001 All-Star Game recap". NBA. February 27, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  45. ^ Saladino, Tom (February 21, 2001). "Mutombo mentioned in trade talks". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  46. ^ "Mutombo traded to Sixers in six-player deal". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 23, 2001. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  47. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo in 2001: Who Want To Go To L.A. With Me?". The Sports Fan Journal. April 24, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  48. ^ "76ers trade C Mutombo to Nets". United Press International. August 6, 2002. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  49. ^ Wise, Mike (August 7, 2002). "Nets Get Mutombo From 76ers For Van Horn and MacCulloch". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  50. ^ "Nets' Mutombo Sidelined". Los Angeles Times. December 4, 2002. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  51. ^ Robbins, Liz (December 5, 2002). "BASKETBALL; Mutombo Injury Leaves Nets Unsettled". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  52. ^ Robbins, Liz (December 14, 2002). "PRO BASKETBALL; Scott and Mutombo Try to Clear the Air". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  53. ^ Popper, Steve; Robbins, Liz (October 5, 2003). "Nets Will Buy Out Mutombo's Contract". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  54. ^ "Knicks Make Mutombo Their Center". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 10, 2003. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  55. ^ "Guard comes to NY in six-player swap". ESPN.com. August 6, 2004. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  56. ^ Blinebury, Fran (September 7, 2004). "Bulls' Mutombo: Trade to Rockets a done deal". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 3, 2016 – via Chicago Tribune.
  57. ^ "Howard scores 23, Mutombo has five blocks in Rockets' win". ESPN. January 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  58. ^ "Elias Says ..." ESPN.com. March 3, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  59. ^ Broussard, Chris (March 18, 2013). "Tracy McGrady peeled to Heat's run". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  60. ^ "Top Moments: Unsung Rockets set NBA ablaze with 22-game win streak". NBA. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  61. ^ a b "Knee injury may end Mutombo's career". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 22, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  62. ^ "Rocker 108, Blazers 81 Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  63. ^ a b McTaggart, Brian (April 22, 2009). "Mutombo suffers career-ending knee injury in Portland". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  64. ^ "Mutombo bids farewell after 18 seasons". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 24, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  65. ^ "NBA All-Time Blocks Leaders". ESPN.com.
  66. ^ "Career Leaders and Records for Total Rebounds". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  67. ^ Feigen, Jonathan (January 13, 2007). "NBA signs off on Mutombo's finger wave". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  68. ^ "McGrady's OK to play Tuesday vs. Warriors". Houston Chronicle. December 5, 2006.
  69. ^ "Mutombo's No. 55 jersey retired by Atlanta". ESPN.com. November 25, 2015.
  70. ^ "Nuggets retire Dikembe Mutombo's No. 55 jersey". ESPN.com. October 30, 2016.
  71. ^ "Mutombo, Haywood, White among 2015 inductees". NBA. April 6, 2015. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  72. ^ "Mutombo wins Sager Strong Award". NBA.com. June 25, 2018.
  73. ^ Taylor, Phil (December 3, 1990). "College Basketball". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  74. ^ "NBA legend: 'We need to go save our mothers, sisters, grandmas'". NBC News. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  75. ^ Smith, Sam (March 17, 1996). "House Of Mutombo Full Of Kids—and Love". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  76. ^ a b c d e Nance, Roscoe (August 16, 2006). "Mutombo helps Congo take a big step forward with new hospital". USA Today. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  77. ^ Krohn, Adam. "Dikembe Mutombo's legacy continues through son". ajc. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  78. ^ "Ryan Mutombo Career Stats – NCAAM". ESPN.com.
  79. ^ "Player Bio: Harouna Mutombo". catamountsports.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  80. ^ a b Kelly, Brad (May 23, 2013). "Pickering's Haboubacar Mutombo commits to Western Carolina". durhamregion.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  81. ^ "Mfiondu Kabengele". Seminoles.com. July 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  82. ^ "Clippers sign draft picks Kabengele, Mann". ESPN.com. July 10, 2019.
  83. ^ "Mfiondu Kabengele". ESPN.com.
  84. ^ "Haboubacar Mutombo – 2017–18 – Men's Basketball". catamountsports.com. Western Carolina University.
  85. ^ "NBA Star Got Sexual Favors". cbsnews.com. July 23, 2001.
  86. ^ Firestone, David (July 24, 2001). "In Testimony, Patrick Ewing Tells of Favors at Strip Club". The New York Times.
  87. ^ "Mutombo may not be a saint, but his good works are many". Mcall.com. August 5, 2001.
  88. ^ Bennett, Charles. "International Basketball: Which of These Players Will End Up in the Hall?". Bleacher Report.
  89. ^ "Mutombo Condemns 'Evil Spirit' Of White Supremacists At Charlottesville Rally". ThePostGame.com. December 31, 1969.
  90. ^ O'Keefe, Ed; Travers, Karen (January 23, 2007). "All the President's Guests". abcnews.go.com. ABC News.
  91. ^ a b Araton, Harvey (September 30, 2024). "Dikembe Mutombo, a Towering N.B.A. Presence, Dies at 58". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  92. ^ Dwyer, Kelly (March 22, 2016). "Dikembe Mutombo was at the Brussels Airport attacks, is unharmed". sports.yahoo.com.
  93. ^ "Mutombo beginning treatment on brain tumor". ESPN.com. October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  94. ^ Reynolds, Tim (September 30, 2024). "Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer". Associated Press. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  95. ^ Worley, Debra (September 30, 2024). "Hall of Fame basketball player Dikembe Mutombo dies at 58". wtok.com. WTOK-TV. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  96. ^ Hoffarth, Tom (June 2, 2010). "Let's be reel about this: Celtics beat out the Lakers on the silver screen". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  97. ^ McNary, Dave (February 11, 2002). "Fox gets NBA stars to like 'Mike'". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  98. ^ Linn, Tracey (November 26, 2012). "How a team of game developers help Old Spice save the world every five days". Polygon. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  99. ^ Joseph, Adi (February 3, 2013). "Dikembe Mutombo blocks for GEICO in Super Bowl commercial". USA Today. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  100. ^ "Mobil 1 Ad Campaign Pairs Kevin Harvick With Dikembe Mutombo". Sports Business Daily. March 10, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  101. ^ "Coming 2 America full cast listing". IMDb. March 6, 2021.
  102. ^ Zillgitt, Jeff (May 22, 2018). "NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo wins Sager Strong Award for humanitarian work in Congo". USA Today. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  103. ^ a b c d "Dikembe Mutombo Info Page". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  104. ^ Montero, David (July 23, 2015). "Democratic Republic of Congo participates in its first Special Olympics". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  105. ^ "Zuma to take the field for Unity Cup". July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  106. ^ "Mbalula to take to the field". Independent Online. September 3, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  107. ^ "President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address". whitehouse.gov (Press release). US: Office of the President. January 23, 2007. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  108. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo stands tall with Bush (video)". AfricaHit.com. January 24, 2007. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
  109. ^ a b Wood-Wright, Natalie (April 14, 2011). "Bloomberg School Awards Goodermote Humanitarian Award to Dikembe Mutombo". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
  110. ^ "Groundbreaking Ceremony for Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship". Dikembe Mutombo Foundation. August 17, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  111. ^ a b Barrasso, Justin (April 8, 2021). "Dikembe Mutombo's New Coffee Venture Aims to Make an Impact". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  112. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo to Speak at Georgetown College Commencement". GUhoyas.com. Georgetown University Official Athletic Site. April 28, 2010. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  113. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo To Be Honored by Haverford College". NBAFrontPage.com. April 12, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  114. ^ "NCAA honors 2016 Silver Anniversary Award winners". ncaa.org (Press release). National Collegiate Athletic Association. November 19, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  115. ^ "Mutombo's hospital dream about to come true". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 10, 2007.
  116. ^ Rushin, Steve (September 4, 2006). "The Center of Two Worlds". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  117. ^ "National Constitution Center, Board of Trustees". National Constitution Center Web Site. National Constitution Center. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  118. ^ "Sam Perkins and Dikembe Mutombo Travel to South Sudan | Exchange Programs". exchanges.state.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  119. ^ "Ask the Doctor Interviews Dikembe Mutombo". Independent Online. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  120. ^ "Dikembe Mutombo College Stats". College Basketball at Sports Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dikembe Mutombo.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dikembe_Mutombo&oldid=1259381510"