Daniel Paiz

NBA Hall of Famer and Denver Nuggets Legend Dikembe Mutombo passes away at 58 after battling against brain cancer. The booming voice, signature finger wave, and larger-than-life man from the Democratic Republic of Congo was known for so much. The 7’2 first-round draft pick out of Georgetown was a disruptor on the court, but his humanitarian work off the hardwood brought people together.

One of those people he made an impact in the world is his son, Ryan Mutombo:

His time in the NBA permitted him to do good work outside of basketball. For those unfamiliar or in need of a refresher, his presence changed the game for anybody playing against him. His playing career is something that sets the bar defensively to this day.

“Man does not fly…in the house of Mutombo”

An eight-time NBA All-Star drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1991, this charismatic center gained popularity due to his signature finger-waving at opponents after blocking their shot. The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner notched 3,289 blocks in his career, often racking them up multiple times in the same possession. Mutombo also grabbed over 12,359 rebounds in his career and scored 11,729 points while playing for six different NBA teams (Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and Houston).

In the now iconic 1994 first round playoff series between the Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics, Mutombo left his mark in that five-game series. The big man tallied 31 blocks! He averaged 12.6 points a game, 12.2 rebounds a game, and a baffling 6.2 blocks a game. Denver would rally from being down two games to none and win it in five.

His time in Denver is usually one of the first highlights shown for Mutombo; however, he played for six teams. His last five years were with the Houston Rockets, where he played with and mentored Yao Ming during the peak of Ming’s career. Accepting a smaller role behind Ming would’ve drawn ire from other players, but Mutombo became close with the Rockets’ All-Star center. Those last five years embodied the kind of person Mutombo was on and off the court.

Humanitarian Efforts

Mutombo’s efforts off the court were even greater than what he did in his 18-year pro basketball career. The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital is the crown jewel of Mutombo’s humanitarian work, as it was opened in 2007 in his hometown of Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo. The hospital was named after Mutombo’s mother, who had passed away in 1997 from a stroke. She was the reason he went to the United States; Mutombo planned to study medicine before being recruited by Hall of Fame coach John Thompson. This hospital has served hundreds of thousands of patients since its inception and continues to do so today.

Numerous awards have been given to Mutombo for his efforts since he retired from the NBA in 2009, but projects in his home country and in Africa were what mattered the most. In his Global Ambassador role (implemented by then-NBA commissioner David Stern), he used his fame to bring awareness to issues impacting the DRC and Africa, ranging from healthcare to education. The goal was always to get more eyes and ears to learn and act for the betterment of others.

We all are made here to help each other,

to make the world a better place for generation to come,

and if we don’t do it,

this generation will be destroyed.

-Dikembe Mutombo