Dikembe Mutombo
(1966-2024)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2015
Card Shown:
2015-16 Panini Select
Position: C
Height: 7’2″
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Dikembe Mutombo is one of the top defensive players in the history of the NBA. He patrolled the paint relentlessly, filling up the stat sheets with rebounds and blocked shots. Mutombo is known for his famous finger wag which would come out after he had blocked a shot and which let opponents know that it was not safe to come down the lane while Dikembe was there. Mutombo played in the NBA for 18 years before he retired in 2009. While he never won an NBA championship, there is no doubt that Dikembe Mutombo is a champion in the game of life.
Dikembe is recognized for being a world class philanthropist. He built a $30 million hospital in the Congo, his native country, and named it after his mother, Biamba Marie Mutombo. Mutombo has been a global ambassador for the Special Olympics, sponsoring children from the Congo to attend the event. He has been a keynote speaker at an International Business Forum in Ethiopia, where he discussed world problems with CEOs and business leaders. Dikembe has been honored by five U.S. presidents, not for his play on the basketball court, but for his dedicated work for others throughout the world.
Awards and Honors
- Dikembe was a defensive presence who was the first player to be named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times. Ben Wallace is the only other player to have accomplished this feat.
- Mutombo led the league in blocked shots per game three times: In 1993-94 with 4.1, in 1994-95 with 3.9, and in 1995-96 with 4.5 blocks per game.
- Dikembe also led the league in rebounds per game twice. In 1999-00 he pulled down 14.1 rebounds per game and in 2000-01 he grabbed 13.5 boards per game.
- Mutombo was honored with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2000-01 and again in 2008-09. The award, which is presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA), is given to a player who demonstrates outstanding service and dedication to the community.
- Dikembe was selected to the NBA All-Star team eight times during his career.
Points of Interest
- Dikembe, Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing are all Hall of Fame basketball players who played the center position at Georgetown University. Mutombo had arrived at Georgetown on an academic scholarship with the goal of becoming a doctor and little interest in playing basketball. However, Hall of Fame coach John Thompson convinced Dikembe that he could impact more lives playing basketball than by becoming a doctor. That has proven to be true.
- Mutombo was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft.
- A defining moment in Dikembe’s career came after the Denver Nuggets became the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed (the Seattle Supersonics) in the playoffs in 1994. Mutombo, caught up in the sheer joy of the moment, lay flat on his back in the key, arms outstretched holding the ball, and released all of the emotions within him. The iconic image of that scene will forever remain a classic.
- Mutombo retired second on the all-time blocked shots list, trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon.
- Dikembe never won an NBA championship, but he did reach the NBA Finals twice. He and Allen Iverson paced the Philadelphia 76ers team that lost to the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals. Then, in 2003, Mutombo was on a New Jersey Nets team with Jason Kidd that lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.
- Dikembe finished his NBA career with averages of 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.0 assists per game.
Statistics
Dikembe Mutombo Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com