Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo

Mutombo in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1966-06-25)June 25, 1966 Léopoldville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Died	September 30, 2024(2024-09-30) (aged 58) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Nationality	Congolese / American
Listed height	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)[1]
Career information
High school	Institute Boboto (Kinshasa, DR Congo)
College	Georgetown University (1988–1991)
NBA draft	1991: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Playing career	1991–2009
Position	Center
Number	55
Career history
1991–1996	Denver Nuggets
1996–2001	Atlanta Hawks
2001–2002	Philadelphia 76ers
2002–2003	New Jersey Nets
2003–2004	New York Knicks
2004–2009	Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
8× NBA All-Star (1992, 1995–1998, 2000–2002) All-NBA Second Team (2001) 2× All-NBA Third Team (1998, 2002) 4× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001) 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1997, 1998, 2001) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1995, 1999, 2002) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1992) 2× NBA rebounding leader (2000, 2001) 3× NBA blocks leader (1994–1996) No. 55 retired by Atlanta Hawks No. 55 retired by Denver Nuggets Third-team All-American – AP, UPI (1991) First-team All-Big East (1991) Second-team All-Big East (1990) 2× Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991)
Career NBA statistics
Points	11,729 (9.8 ppg)
Rebounds	12,359 (10.3 rpg)
Blocks	3,289 (2.8 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024) was a Congolese-American professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Mount Mutombo" for his defensive prowess, he is commonly regarded as one of the greatest shot-blockers and defensive players of all time. Outside of basketball, he was known for his humanitarian work.

A 7-foot-2-inch (2.18 m) center, Mutombo moved to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to attend Georgetown University with the hope of eventually earning a medical degree and returning to the DRC to practice medicine. Those plans changed when John Thompson, coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, recruited him to play college basketball. Mutombo played three seasons for Georgetown, establishing a reputation as a tenacious defender.

In 1991 the Denver Nuggets chose him with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. During his NBA career, he played for six teams, 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. He led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams. As of the 2023-2024 NBA season, he ranks second among NBA career leaders in blocked shots.

At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo retired and his number 55 jersey was retired by the Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.