The Dikembe Mutombo tributes continue to pour in as the former Georgetown star is being remembered more for his giving nature off the court than for his shot-blocking prowess both as a Big East legend and an NBA star. Mutombo, who played at Georgetown from 1988-91, died on Monday after a battle with brain cancer.
“Georgetown lost one of its best in Dikembe Mutombo,” Georgetown Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed said in a release. “Basketball fans remember him for his defense, rebounding and that trademark finger wag. To those of us who knew him well, we will miss the father, teammate, mentor and friend. Dikembe left his mark on the Georgetown community in so many ways. He will be best remembered for his unique gift of leveraging his platform as a Hall of Fame basketball player to maximize his global impact as a humanitarian.”
Mutombo Tributes Honor A Difference Maker On And Off The Court
Mutombo received more awards for his work off the court than he did during his remarkable playing career. Mutombo was a two-time winner of the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. David Stern, the NBA Commissioner at the time, gave basketball star the ultimate compliment by making him the NBA’s first global ambassador.
He founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 to help make a better life for the people living in Congo. The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital opened in Congo 10 years later, funded by Mutombo. Named in honor of his late mother, the hotel has treated nearly 200,000 patients. Georgetown’s release announcing Mutombo’s death provides even more details on the difference he made.
Mutombo Thrived As A Rim Protector
The seven-foot-two Mutombo was a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a 10-time All-Star during his 18-year career. He led the NBA in blocked shots in five consecutive seasons early in his professional career. Mutombo was also a four-time rebounding champion. He is second only to Hakeem Olajuwon in career blocked shots and is 21st in career rebounding. His death hit so many in the college basketball and NBA communities so hard.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”
It all started when he came to Georgetown from Congo. He teamed with Alonzo Mourning to give the Hoyas two elite post defenders. Mutombo was part of the 1988-89 Georgetown team that won 29 games and reached the Elite Eight in the 1989 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. There will be heavy hearts around the Big East as the college basketball season is just over a month away from starting. Mourning used social media to encourage prayers and support for his friend and former teammate once his cancer diagnosis became known.
Alonzo Mourning’s Instagram post from this morning with Dikembe Mutombo: pic.twitter.com/zZFEhyjKYe
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) October 21, 2022
Mutombo was picked by the Denver Nuggets with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. Michael Jordan and Pau Gasol were among the NBA stars who paid tribute to Mutombo.
Don’t Forget A Mutombo Commercial For the Ages
Mutombo’s finger wag after blocking a shot became his trademark. That was not lost on the advertising genius who signed Mutombo to appear in a GEICO commercial in 2013. Those looking at the Dikembe Mutombo tributes can’t help but recall that classic TV commercial. That ad will go down as one the best featuring a sports star of all time. It also gave Mutombo a chance to showcase his exuberant personality.
