Īt Georgetown, Mutombo's international background and interests stood out. Mutombo was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1990 (shared with Mourning) and in 1991. Building on the shot-blocking power of Mutombo and teammate Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown fans created a "Rejection Row" section under the basket, adding a big silhouette of an outstretched hand to a banner for each shot blocked during the game. During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a game. He spoke almost no English when he arrived at Georgetown and studied in the ESL program. He originally intended to become a doctor, but the Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John Thompson recruited him to play basketball. ![]() Mutombo attended Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship. He moved to the United States in 1987 at the age of 21 to enroll in college. ![]() At around age 16, Mutombo decided to also work on his basketball career at the encouragement of his father and brother due to his height. He played football and participated in martial arts. For high school, Mutombo went to Boboto College in Kinshasa to lay the groundwork for his medical career as the classes were more challenging there. Mutombo speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and five Central African languages, including Lingala and Tshiluba. His father worked as a school principal and then in Congo's department of education. Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2015.ĭikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo as one of 10 children of Samuel and Biamba Marie Mutombo. His number 55 jersey has been retired by both the Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets. On January 10, 2007, Mutombo reached second place on the list of NBA career leaders in blocked shots.Īt the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. Mutombo led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams. ![]() Mutombo is commonly regarded as one of the best shot-blockers and defensive players of all time he received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times. Mutombo played in the NBA Finals for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and for the New Jersey Nets in 2003. During his NBA career, he played for six teams. In 1991, the Denver Nuggets chose Mutombo with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. Outside of basketball, he is well known for his humanitarian work.Ī 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. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 2× Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991)ĭikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player.Third-team All-American – AP, UPI ( 1991).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |