The Congolese-American basketball player, who played in the NBA for 18 years, is often considered one of the best shot-blockers, and defenders, in basketball of all time.
Dikembe Mutombo Dies
Dikembe Mutombo Dies, Mutombo was the fourth overall pick of the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA draft. During his illustrious career he also represented teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and the Houston Rockets.
Humanitarian Endeavours in Post Career Life
And after officially retiring from basketball in 2009, he received far more fame for his heavy involvement in humanitarian activities, mostly with the Special Olympics. In his home country, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to oversee the goal of enhancing the quality of lives and healthcare services in Congo.
Compliments from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Speaking of Mutombo, the NBA commissioner Adam Silver described him as follows: “Dikembe Mutombo was just so much bigger than basketball. In offence, he was just an average player; however he was the best shot blocker and defensive player until date. Apart from basketball, he devoted himself to improving the lives of fellow human beings. Dikembe was the right man to be chosen as the first ever NBA Global Ambassador and indeed he was a man of the people.
Silver also said more, “He loved how basketball can improve communities, something he saw and was fully aware of in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Africa at large.” I am delighted that I had been travelling with Dikembe and had the opportunity to see how he changed people’s lives. Fans of basketball across generations loved him because of his deep voice, smile and the famous finger wagging gesture.
Battling Brain Cancer
Despite all these achievements in his career, Mutombo was faced with health issues for instance, brain cancer, which forced an outpour of support from NBA. The NBA Dikembe Mutombo remains to be idolised to this day and fans are also currently concerned with his state as they celebrate him through comments and such.
The famous dikembe mutombo commercial and Gif
Apart from landfill, Mutombo’s pride and humour were depicted interestingly in a famous commercial that portrayed him as a giant. Further, the popular Dikembe Mutombo finger wag highlighting GIF rolls out, a gesture that the NBA player used on the basketball court to celebrate blocked shots.
Standing Tall: Dikembe Mutombo Height and Contribution
The second tallest player to play Dikembe Mutombo height is 7’2” and had quite the successful career on and off the basketball court. Bogoslowski is still an inspiration of basketball lovers across the globe and his off the court achievements are able to transform communities.