Category: Personalities

This guy is one of the most important civilian representing congolese community worldwide and we are proud of him. He’s known for his extremely hoarse and cavernous voice and for his defensive abilities on basketball courts. He’s respected among his peers and was even the representant and spokesman of NBA players during the 1998-99 NBA lockout, with Patrick Ewing. He has been recently named Hall of Famer, Class of 2015. So here are a few facts about his career. Quite impressive!

Full Name: Jean-Jacques Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Wa Mutombo
Nicknames: Diki, Mt Mutombo
Date of birth: June 25, 1966
Place of Birth: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Height: 7 ft 2 in (218 cm)
Marital Status: married with 6 children (4 adopted)
Languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Ciluba, Swahili, Lingala, Kikongo

College Career

Georgetown University (1988–1991)

College Awards & Honors

• AP All-American Third Team (1991)
• UPI All-American Third Team (1991)
• Big East All-Tournament Team (1991)
• All-Big East First Team (1991)
• 2x Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1990-1991)
• 3rd all time in career blocked shots in Georgetown history (354 blocks)

Pro Career

Pro playing career (1991–2009)

• NBA Draft: 1st round’s 4th pick in 1991 by the Denver Nuggets
• 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 summary and highlights

• Career averages: 9.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 1.0 AST
• 4-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
• 8-time NBA All-Star: 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002
• 3-time All-NBA:  2nd Team in 2001; 3rd Team in 1998 and 2002
• 6-time All-Defensive: 1st Team in 1997, 1998 and 2001; 2nd Team: 1995, 1999 and 2002
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1992
• 2nd on All-Time NBA recorded Blocks, 3,256 behind Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830 blocks).
• 2-time NBA regular-season leader, rebounding average: 2000 (14.1), 2001 (13.5)
• 4-time NBA regular-season leader, total rebounds: 1995 (1029), 1997 (929), 1999 (610), 2000 (1157)
• NBA regular-season leader, offensive rebounds: 2001 (307)
• 2-time NBA regular-season leader, defensive rebounds: 1999 (418), 2000 (853)
• 3-time NBA regular-season leader, blocked shots average: 1994 (4.1), 1995 (3.9), 1996 (4.5)
• 5-time NBA regular-season leader, total blocks: 1994 (336), 1995 (321), 1996 (332), 1997 (264), 1998 (277)
• Oldest player in NBA history to collect over 20 rebounds in a game (March 2, 2007 vs. Denver Nuggets)

Awards and honors

• One of 20 winners of the President’s Service Awards 1999 (highest honor for volunteer service)
• NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the State University of New York College at Cortland in 2004 for his for his philanthropic efforts in his native country, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African nations
• Invited to be a special guest at President George W. Bush’s 2007 State of the Union address, commended for his humanitarian aid to his homeland.
• Honorary doctorate by Georgetown University in 2010
• Honorary doctorate degree from Haverford College in 2011
• Goodermote Humanitarian Award 2011 by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• 2015 Naismith Hall Of Fame inductee
• His name is featured in several songs like “Malu” by Tshala Muana or “Basktetball” by Bow Wow

Humanitarian Work

• Opened a $29 million, 300-bed hospital in Kinshasa (Masina), finished in 2006 with 15 millions from his own pocket, named after his mother Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital. It took 10 years between the creating the blue print on paper and its opening to the public.
• Spokesman for the international relief agency, CARE
• First Youth Emissary for the United Nations Development Program
• Member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, as well as a Global Ambassador (special Olympics)

Sports Nation

Motivational Speaker @ University of Georgia – 2011

AND FOR FUN, SOME COMMERCIALS:

McDonald

1993 – Adidas

2013 – Geico Insurance

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