A 7-foot-2-inch (2.18 m), 260-pound (120 kg) center, Mutombo moved to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to play college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas. In 1991, the Denver Nuggets chose Mutombo with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. During his NBA career, he played for six teams. Mutombo played 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. Mutombo led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams. On January 10, 2007, Mutombo reached second place on the list of NBA career leaders in blocked shots.
At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. His number 55 jersey has been retired by both the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks. Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2015.
Posts tagged as “Dikembe Mutombo”
NBA announced the death of one of the greatest big man in the NBA. He known for wagging his right index finger whenever he blocks a shot.
Drafted by the Denver Nuggets, Mutombo was the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft. After 6 season with the Nuggets, he signed a 5-year, $55 million free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks, then one-year with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, he reached the NBA Finals while playing for both teams. In October 2003, he signed a two-year deal with the New York Knicks, then in 2004 the Knicks traded him to the Chicago Bulls, but before the start of the season the Bulls traded Mutombo to the Houston Rockets where he played for 5-years and retired in 2009 as Rockets.
Messages from the NBA and the teams that Mutombo played with;
https://t.co/IxwdTjX4EO pic.twitter.com/x6rNgWzUuG
— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2024
We are deeply saddened by the news of Dikembe Mutombo’s passing.
Dikembe was a proud and honorable man, who lived up to the definition of a word that became synonymous with his name – humanitarian. He used his many gifts and his platform to improve the lives of everyone he… pic.twitter.com/zsLS4AihJ4
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) September 30, 2024
Today we mourn the loss of a true ambassador of our game, Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. Dikembe spent 18 seasons in the NBA, including his final five as a Houston Rocket. His fun-loving personality and trademark finger-wagging endeared him to fans around the world, but Dikembe’s… pic.twitter.com/BfmKNGLGi3
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) September 30, 2024
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) September 30, 2024
We share our condolences with his wife, Rose, the entire Mutombo family, and their loved ones. RIP. pic.twitter.com/3j7M1ONqxJ
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) September 30, 2024
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 30, 2024