Dikembe Mutombo
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| Player information | ||
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| Full name | Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo |
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| Nickname | Mount Mutombo | |
| birthday | 25th June 1966 (age 54) | |
| place of birth | Kinshasa , Zaire | |
| size | 218 cm | |
| Weight | 118 kg | |
| position | center | |
| college | Georgetown | |
| NBA draft | 1991 , 4th pick, Denver Nuggets | |
| Clubs as active | ||
1991–1995 Denver Nuggets 1996–2000 Atlanta Hawks 2000–2001 Philadelphia 76ers 2002–2003 New Jersey Nets 2003–2004 New York Knicks 2004–2009 Houston Rockets
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Dikembe Mutombo , (born June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa , Zaire as Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo ) is a former Congolese - American basketball player who was active in the North American professional league NBA from 1991 to 2009 .
Mutombo played in the center position. At 2.18 meters, he was one of the greatest NBA players. He got his nickname Mount Mutombo ( Mount English for "mountain") because of his height and his ability to block throws . He is counted among the best defensive players in NBA history; four times he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award , a record he shares with Ben Wallace . He took part in the NBA All-Star Game eight times . In his 18-year NBA career, Mutombo took second place in the all-time list of the best in blocked throws, just behind Hakeem Olajuwon . Mutombo became known for his habit of waving his forefinger to his opponent after successful blocks, combined with the slogan "Not in my house".
Childhood and youth
Dikembe Mutombo, who has five brothers and two sisters, first attended the Boboto Institute, a school in Kinshasa . He then studied at Georgetown University in Georgetown , Washington, DC and earned a bachelor's degree in linguistics and diplomacy . In addition to English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, he speaks five African languages. He had started his sporting career as a soccer goalkeeper . At the age of 16 he switched to basketball and was 20 years old in the national team of his home country Zaire . Through the mediation of the American embassy in Kinshasa, he switched to the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big East Conference at the age of 21 in 1987 .
Careers in the NBA
Mutombo began his career in the United States on the college team at Georgetown Hoyas . In 1991, after he was voted best defense player, he was selected in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft process as fourth by the Denver Nuggets . After his first year in the NBA , he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team for his accomplishments . He played five years in Denver, where he received a $ 14 million contract for this term, then moved to the Atlanta Hawks . With the Hawks Mutombo won the award for best NBA defender of the year twice and led the team to three playoffs. During the 2000/01 NBA season , Mutombo moved to the Philadelphia 76ers . Here he reached the final series as the greatest success of his career. There the 76ers lost against the Los Angeles Lakers with 1: 4 wins. In 2003 he reached the final series again with the New Jersey Nets , but got hardly any playing time there. The Nets lost to the San Antonio Spurs 2-4 games. In the 2003/04 season Mutombo stood for the New York Knicks on the floor.
From the 2004/05 season Mutombo was under contract with the Houston Rockets . He was the oldest player in the NBA at the age of 42 and represented the Texans' star center, the Chinese Yao Ming (2.29 m), during his injury. Mutombo had announced that he would end his career as a basketball player after the 2007/08 NBA season , but decided to remain in the NBA because of his convincing performance during the injury of Yao Ming. On December 30, 2008, he then signed for the remainder of the 2008-09 NBA season with the Rockets.
In a tackle with Greg Oden in the Rockets' second playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers , he fell to the ground and injured his leg. He then resigned at the age of 42.
On April 6, 2015, it was announced that Mutombo would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this fall . On September 1, 2015, the Atlanta Hawks announced that Mutombo's number 55 would no longer be given to any other player.
Others
Mutombo is an athlete ambassador for the development aid organization Right to Play . In 2010 he received a Laureus World Sports Award for this . Furthermore, Mutombo is the only winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award to receive this award for social commitment twice (2001, 2009). He is also the global ambassador for the Special Olympics .
The German sporting goods company Adidas launched a special Mutombo collection in the early 1990s. The shoe he uses is considered to be one of the best basketball shoes ever. At the same time, Mutombo was promoting its own triple cheeseburger for the McDonald’s fast food chain . Further advertising contracts existed in the early 1990s with Pepsi , Lock (travel bags) and Safeway . With Dikembe Block a CD about him was also released at this time. In 1993, a TV cartoon series was also planned in which Mutombo should act as Superman.
Personal
Mutombo's nephew Mfiondu Kabengele (son of his sister) also became a professional basketball player.
See also
Web links
- Dikembe Mutombo - player statistics on NBA .com (English)
- Dikembe Mutombo - player profile on basketball-reference.com
- Dikembe Mutombo in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on hoopshall.com (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mutomdi01.html
- ^ Dikembe Mutombo. In: nba.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020 (English).
- ^ Mutombo to be sworn in as American citizen. March 9, 2006, accessed June 6, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c "Mutombo - The New Basketball Star" by Mathias Janßen, Sport-Bild from March 10, 1993, p. 72f
- ↑ Mutombo, Haywood, White among 2015 inductees. NBA.com, April 6, 2015, accessed April 7, 2015 .
- ↑ Atlanta Hawks wants to retire Dikembe Mutombo's jersey
- ↑ looktothestars.org , accessed November 28, 2011.
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of March 13, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ The 25 Best adidas Signature Basketball Shoes of All Time. Accessed July 9, 2018 .
- ↑ Mfiondu Kabengele: 3 things to know about the Florida State basketball forward. Retrieved June 6, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mutombo, Dikembe |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Congolese basketball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 25, 1966 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kinshasa , Zaire |