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The Life And Career Of Dikembe Mutombo (Story)

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Dikembe Mutombo #55 of the Houston Rockets looks on
(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

 

The modern NBA is known as a league of high scores and prolific scorers.

It’s not uncommon for players to reach triple-doubles as their team scores over 100 points.

Fans have regularly tuned in to watch playmakers such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Steph Curry.

So, when an athlete is devoted to the defensive side of the ball, he’s considered an anomaly.

Dikembe Mutombo could score points when he needed to, but he wasn’t nicknamed “Mt. Mutombo” for nothing.

Standing over seven feet tall and able to cover both ends of the floor on the fly, Mutombo made his living blocking shots and pulling down copious rebounds.

He was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and led the NBA in finger-wagging after rejecting shot attempts.

This is the story of Dikembe Mutombo.

 

Born and Raised in Congo

map of Democratic Republic of Congo

 

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) in Africa.

He was one of ten children with an educator as a father who ensured that his children had access to good schools.

Mutombo eventually learned nine languages and began medical school as a young teen.

He also played soccer and trained in martial arts.

By the time he was 16, Mutombo was already towering over his peers.

At the urging of his father and his brother, Ilo, Mutombo took up the sport of basketball to take advantage of his height.

He and Ilo eventually played on Zaire’s junior national team.

Mutombo played well enough that a U.S. development coach took a video of him and sent the tape to Georgetown University.

That’s when coach John Thompson took notice.

 

Mutombo Becomes a Hoya

Georgetown Hoyas fan cheers
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

 

Mutombo arrived in Washington D.C. to study linguistics at Georgetown.

Although he was strong academically, Mutombo struggled with the tests required to get into college.

As a result, Mutombo played intramural ball as a freshman while working on his NCAA eligibility and learning to speak fluent English.

He then joined the Hoyas as a sophomore in 1988-1989 alongside fellow big man Alonzo Mourning.

Still learning the intricacies of American college ball, Mutombo did not play a lot, but he was very effective when he did.

When he shot the ball, Mutombo scored often, breaking a two-decade record with a 70.7 shooting percentage.

He also proved to be a wall on defense.

During a game against St. John’s, Mutombo set an NCAA single-game record with 12 blocks.

He swatted a total of 75 shots during the year.

 

Rejection Row

Between 1981 and 1985, former Georgetown center Patrick Ewing absolutely dominated college basketball.

During his collegiate career, Ewing was a Big East Defensive Player of the Year four times, conference Player of the Year twice, and All-American three times.

He was also a national champion in 1984 and a first-overall draft pick by the New York Knicks in 1985.

When he left, Georgetown didn’t have another dominant big man until Mourning committed.

Then, the program was twice blessed when Mutombo practically fell into their laps.

As the 1989-90 season began, Hoya students were already sold on the twin towers of destruction.

During the 1988-89 season, a section underneath one of the baskets was called “Rejection Row” to celebrate Mutombo’s and Mourning’s frequent blocked shots.

Every time one of the big men swatted a shot, a member of the Row would place a picture of an outstretched hand on a chart to signify another block by the duo.

In ‘89-90, Mutombo blocked a ton of shots, 4.1 per game to be precise, which was up from 2.3 in his first year.

His points per game also increased from 3.9 to 10.7 and his total rebounds per game went from 3.3 to 10.5.

Regardless of his improvement, Mutombo deflected all praise, believing he wasn’t good enough yet.

“The day I am good, I think all the newspapers will talk about me,” said Mutombo. “But I am not good yet.”

Georgetown went 24-7 that year and lost to Xavier in the second round.

After the season, Mutombo was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and second-team All-Big East.

 

Senior Year

Mutombo’s swift development from basketball beginner to one of the best in the country was extraordinary.

During his senior year in 1990-91, Mutombo’s points per game (15.2), total rebounds per game (12.2), and blocks per game (4.7) all increased.

His scoring average led the team, helped in part by the absence of Mourning who missed much of the season due to a foot injury.

In the first game of the year, Mutombo had just the second triple-double in program history with a 32-point, 21-rebound, 11-block stat line against Hawaii-Loa.

That same season, Mutombo faced his brother, Ilo, who played for Southern Indiana.

Ilo actually performed better than his brother, outscoring (14 points to six) and outrebounding (11 boards to nine) Dikembe.

In the Big East Tournament that spring, Mutombo saved the day when he snagged 27 rebounds and added 13 points to dispatch Connecticut 68-49.

The Hoyas as a team were shooting a paltry 25% from the field and may have lost if not for Mutombo’s huge output.

After reaching the NCAA Tournament, Georgetown lost to top-ranked UNLV in the second round 62-54.

Mutombo was again named the conference Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big East and third-team All-American.

 

Mutombo Heads to Denver

home of the NBA Denver Nuggets

 

In 1991, the NBA was filled with teams that needed Mutombo’s talent, which is why he didn’t last long in the draft.

With the fourth overall selection in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets picked Mutombo.

He was added to a roster bereft of talent (save for Chris Jackson, who became known as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) and coming off a 20-win season led by coach Paul Westhead.

The Nuggets weren’t much better in Mutombo’s rookie year, though it was obvious he was something special.

While Denver only gained four more wins in 1991-92, Mutombo averaged over 16 points, three blocks, and 12 rebounds per game.

He was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie first team and selected as an NBA All-Star.

In his third game as a pro, Mutombo locked horns with San Antonio Spurs big man David Robinson.

Throughout the game, frustration was evident on “The Admiral’s” face as Mt. Mutombo had four blocks, 21 points, and 13 rebounds.

He also held Robinson in check with a dogged defense that saw the Spurs’ star score only five buckets for 17 points.

It was also during his rookie year that Mutombo pulled out his finger wag when rejecting shots.

The gesture was not so much a public shaming as it was a reminder to opponents not to challenge him.

 

Denver Shocks the World

After the 1991-92 season, Denver fired Westhead and hired Dan Issel.

The franchise drafted LaPhonso Ellis from Notre Dame in the first round and saw their wins jump from 24 to 36 in 1992-93.

During a game against the LA Clippers in April, Mutombo tied an NBA record with 12 blocks.

Then, in 1993-94, the Nuggets battled to 42 wins and an eighth seed in the playoffs.

Mutombo led the NBA in blocks that season with 4.1 per game and added 12 points and over 11 boards per contest.

As an eighth seed, Denver wasn’t given much of a chance against the Seattle Supersonics, the top seed in the West.

The Sonics won 63 games that year and boasted a lineup that included Shawn Kemp, Nate McMillan, Sam Perkins, Gary Payton, and Detlef Schrempf.

Through the first two games of the series, the pundits were exactly right as Seattle crushed Denver by 24 in Game 1 then won by ten in Game 2.

After Game 3 where the Nuggets won by seven, Game 4 went into overtime and Denver won their second straight game to even the series.

Then, Game 5 went into overtime as well, and the Nuggets became the first eight seed to defeat a one seed in NBA history.

As the 98-94 victory came to a close, Mutombo snagged a rebound and fell to the floor as the final horn sounded.

He held the ball aloft while laughing in joy.

During the series, Mutombo averaged six blocks and 12 rebounds per game.  In Game 5 alone, he had eight blocks and 15 boards.

In the next round against the Utah Jazz, the Jazz won the first three games, but Denver won the next three.

Mutombo was the primary reason the Nuggets won Game 6 when he had 23 points, five blocks, three steals, and 12 boards.

Unfortunately, Denver couldn’t pull off a second upset and lost to Utah in Game 7.

 

Defensive Player of the Year

The 1994 playoffs made it look like Denver was an up-and-coming force in the NBA.

Then the 1994-95 season began and proved otherwise.

Denver returned to the playoffs but was the eighth seed again after winning only 41 games.

Despite the Nuggets’ lack of success, Mutombo thrived.

That season he averaged a league-high 3.9 blocks per game along with 11 points and 12 rebounds per contest.

Mutombo was voted to his second All-Star game, named an All-Defensive Second Team member, and was voted as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

In 1995-96, Mutombo led the NBA for the third straight year in blocks with 4.5 per game, which also proved to be a career-high.

“You talk about (Bill) Russell, I don’t think there’s anybody in his class defensively,” said coach/GM Bernie Bickerstaff. “But (Mutombo) had this innate intelligence and ability to read offenses. And even if you put him on the perimeter, if you got by him, his recovery and his chase down was right on the money because he knew angles. You’d think you had a layup after you got by him, but he was there.”

Mutombo wasn’t just great at blocking shots. He was also a rebounding machine.

In a game against the Charlotte Hornets in March of 1996, Mt. Mutombo loomed large as he gathered a career-high 31 boards.

 

Mutombo Becomes a Hawk

Dikembe Mutombo #55, Center for the Atlanta Hawks
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Allsport/Getty Images)

 

At the conclusion of the 1995-96 season, Mutombo was a free agent and wanted a ten-year contract.

Denver had no intention of signing him for that long, and the Atlanta Hawks swooped in with a five-year offer for $55 million.

Mutombo signed the deal and joined a team with Jon Barry, Mookie Blaylock, Christian Laettner, and Steve Smith on the roster.

His first year as a Hawk in 1996-97 was a doozy.

Mutombo averaged 13 points, 11 boards, and three blocks on his way to a second NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, fourth NBA All-Star appearance, and an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.

Atlanta rode their talented group to 56 wins and a fourth seed in the East for the playoffs.

After beating the Detroit Pistons in five games, the uber-talented Chicago Bulls ended Atlanta’s season in five games in the Conference Semifinals.

1997-98 was nearly identical to the previous year.

Mutombo took a third NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, made an All-Star appearance, was NBA All-Defensive First-Team, and was an All-NBA Third Team selection.

He averaged over three blocks, 13 points, and 11 rebounds per game.

Atlanta won 50 games but couldn’t get past the Hornets in the First Round.

 

The NBA Bans “the Wag”

Dikembe Mutombo and TV personality Jon Stewart dance on court
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

 

In 1998-99, the NBA experienced a lockout that reduced the season to 50 games.

Mutombo still averaged over ten points, almost three blocks, and 12 boards per game.

He received the NBA’s IBM Award as the player of the year and was a league All-Defensive Second Team member.

However, during the season, the NBA informed Mutombo that he could no longer do his finger wag after a block since it was unsportsmanlike.

Mutombo balked at the decision but ultimately retired the wag permanently.

The Hawks took their 31 wins and eliminated Detroit in five then lost to fellow Georgetown alum Patrick Ewing and New York in the Conference Semis in four straight games.

 

Atlanta Trades Mutombo

Allen Iverson #3 and Dikembe Mutombo
Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Allsport

 

The 1999-2000 Hawks could muster only 28 wins, but Mutombo led the league in rebounding with 14.1 per game.

One year later, he led the NBA again in rebounds before playing in his seventh All-Star game.

During the contest, Mutombo paired with Philadelphia 76ers ace Allen Iverson (a former Hoya) to help deliver a 111-110 victory for the East.

Iverson was named the MVP, but Mutombo sported a game-high 22 boards and also had three blocks.

Mutombo’s play seemed to switch on a lightbulb for 76ers coach Larry Brown.

Philly was playing well that season, but they needed someone of Mutombo’s stature to keep pace, especially in the playoffs.

Barely a week after the All-Star break, the Sixers traded a bevy of players for Mutombo.

Once he became a Sixer, Philly got hot and ended the regular season with 56 wins.

Mutombo led the league with 13.5 rebounds per game, won his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, was All-NBA Second Team, and was NBA All-Defensive First Team.

Mutombo and Iverson helped the 76ers advance through the first three rounds of the 2001 playoffs before facing the LA Lakers in the NBA Finals.

In Game 1, Philly shocked LA by winning the contest 107-101 in overtime.

The victory was aided by Mutombo’s 16 rebounds.

Although Mutombo and Iverson continued to play their hearts out, the Lakers won the next four games to win the NBA title.

 

On the Road Again

New York Knicks congratulates Dikembe Mutombo
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

 

Mutombo and Philadelphia tried to return to the Finals again in 2001-02 but could do no better than 43 wins and a First Round loss to Boston.

With the season complete, the New Jersey Nets traded for Mutombo then watched him sit most of the year with an injury.

The Nets did well without Mutombo, returning to the NBA Finals for the second straight season.

Because of his injury, Mutombo barely came off the bench during New Jersey’s six-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

He was not retained by the Nets after their Finals run, and Mutombo signed a deal with the New York Knicks.

One year later, he moved again, this time becoming a member of the Houston Rockets.

 

Role Player in Houston

Dikembe Mutombo #55 of the Houston Rockets gestures during the game
(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

 

Mutombo’s arrival in Houston was met with excitement.

He was reunited with former Atlanta teammate Jon Berry, and the Rockets roster also included Juwan Howard, Tracy McGrady, Charlie Ward, and Yao Ming.

Ming and Mutombo were a twin towers lineup that recalled Mutombo’s days at Georgetown with Mourning.

Additionally, Mutombo also had Ewing at his disposal, who was in his second year as a coach for the Rockets.

Unfortunately, the Rockets couldn’t advance far with all their talent and were dropped in the First Round by the Dallas Mavericks.

In 2005-06, Mutombo went from two starts the previous year to 23, yet Houston failed to make the playoffs.

During a March 2007 game against Denver, Mutombo pulled down 22 boards, becoming the oldest player in league history (40) to collect more than 20 rebounds in a game.

Almost a year later, Mt. Mutombo blocked five shots in a game against the Lakers to move into second place all-time in that category (3,256 blocks), behind Hakeem Olajuwon.

Then, after briefly retiring, Mutombo returned to the Rockets for nine games in 2008-09, becoming the oldest player in the NBA at the time (42).

Houston faced Portland in the First Round of the 2009 playoffs and Mutombo helped out with nine boards, a steal, and two blocks In Game 1.

During Game 2, Mutombo sustained an injury and needed help returning to the bench.

It would be the last time he would play professional basketball.

 

Retirement

Dikembe Mutombo
(Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)

 

In his 18-year career, Mutombo had totals of 9.8 points, 2.8 blocks, and 10.3 rebounds per game.

He was an NBA Rookie First Team member, an eight-time All-Star, an All-NBA Second Team selection once, an All-NBA Third Team member twice, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Defensive First Team, three-time All-Defensive Second Team, two-time NBA rebounding leader, the three-time leader in blocks, IBM Award winner, and twice received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his community service work.

Mutombo would also have his number 55 retired by both Denver and Atlanta.

In 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

 

Personal Life and Humanitarian Work   

Former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo (L) attends Annual Charity Day
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald)

 

Mutombo and his wife, Rose, have three children and four adopted children.

Mutombo’s son, Ryan, followed in his father’s large footsteps and became one of the best high school big men in the nation and committed to play ball at Georgetown in 2021.

In addition to various media appearances, Mutombo has been active in humanitarian work, specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 and helped build a hospital in Kinshasa, Congo.

“The foundation is my life. It is my passion. … My inspiration in life is to improve the living condition of my people,” Mutombo said in the summer of 2022.

The foundation has also been used to help children of low-income families in Washington D.C., build an elementary school in Congo, and provide masks and other Covid supplies during the pandemic to residents of Congo.

In mid-October of 2022, Mutombo announced that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and is undergoing treatment.

 

References

https://vault.si.com/vault/1989/03/20/two-centers-of-attention-big-east-champ-georgetown-is-doubly-blessed-in-the-pivot

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/dikembe-mutombo-1.html

http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/id/1634493

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dikembe-Mutombo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dikembe_Mutombo

https://www.si.com/nba/2022/07/15/dikembe-mutombo-where-are-they-now-2022

https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/mutombo-top10-20200505b

https://www.hoyabasketball.com/players/d_mutombo.htm

alumni.georgetown.edu

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/15/sport/dikembe-mutombo-brain-tumor-treatment/index.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mutomdi01.html

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