Dikembe Mutombo Appreciation Thread

[MHZ]

I'm not much for these threads, but when you remind yourself about some of the things this guy did in his career (on, and more importantly, off the court), I think it's warranted. It's a pretty perfect time too, with the Nuggets trying to win their first playoff series since that famous moment when they beat the Sonics and he was on the ground with the ball. I remember watching that game on Pay-Per-View.

I think mainly because of how long he played, you forget just how effective he was in his prime.

4 DPOY's, 3 All-NBA Teams, 8 ASG's.

Cheers, Deke.



http://www.nba.com/history/94nuggets_moments.html

[mutumba]

One of my all-time favorite Nuggets. He was the first player I liked as a kid, first Nugget jersey I owned, and probably the guy who made me a fan in the first place. Just a sad way to see him go out after all he has done for the game

[el loco]

How can you not like Dikembe?

* Full name is Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacque Wamutombo

* Married to Rose and has six children, adopting four

* Has forged a legacy of community service in the United States and Africa

* Honored with the President’s Service Award in 1999 and the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001

* Acknowledged by President George W. Bush during the State of the Union Address on Jan 23, 2007, being applauded for his work done in support of African causes

* Speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and five African dialects

* Earned bachelor's degrees in Linguistics and Diplomacy from Georgetown

* Named one of the “Good Guys in Sports” by The Sporting News

* Identified in 2005 by FOXSports.com as the most generous professional athlete, ranking him first over Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods

* Inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame on June 20, 2007

* Created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, a charitable organization created to improve the health, education and quality of life for people in his homeland of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo

* Focal point of his foundation has been the construction and opening of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center, a $29 million, 300-bed hospital in Kinshasa named after his late mother, which held its formal dedication ceremony on July 17, 2007. He has donated $15 million to build the hospital.

* Donated $150,000 to help underprivileged children in South Africa

* Participates in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program, as well as the NBA and UNICEF “United for Children, Unite against AIDS” campaign

* Paid for uniforms and expenses for the Zaire women's basketball team during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta

* Came to the United States on an academic scholarship to attend Georgetown as a pre-med major, with a dream of becoming a medical doctor and returning to Congo to practice medicine

* Re-directed his academic ambitions and graduated from Georgetown with dual degrees in linguistics and diplomacy

* Starting his own cable network “The Africa Channel”

* honored as the international recipient for the National Civil Rights Museums Sports Legacy Award in 2007

* Wears size 22 basketball shoes, the largest in the NBA (Shaquille O'Neal also wears the same size)

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dikembe_mutombo/bio.html

[dis4ryan]

5,287 feet. Mutumbo Sicky Gnar.

[pistonsnuggets]

* 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:

* Second Team: 2001
* Third Team: 1998, 2002

* 6-time All-Defensive:

* First Team: 1997, 1998, 2001
* Second Team: 1995, 1999, 2002

* NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1992

* 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, blocking 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)

[second_coming#15]

I don't think it can be summed up more than has been done by pistonsnuggets and el loco

A tremendous basketball player whose size on the court was only bested by his work off the court.

The fans, players and entire league will miss Deke

[HypNotiQ]

Raptor fan here--I remember Mutombo saying 'Nuggets should retire my jersey'. Will this happen? Should it happen?

[berserker]

Nuggs should retire Mutumbo's jersey.....

One of the classiest players to ever play the game. The NBA won't be the same without you.....

Thanks for all the memories, Deke......just to see that look of pure bliss on your face after the Sonics upset shows just how much you loved the game. I wish some of today's stars had that much appreciation for it.

[MHZ]

Should it? Eh, I'm not sure. He didn't spend a ton of time here, then bolted in free agency.

Will it? Yeah, almost certainly. Teams will do anything to retire jerseys - if Vlade Divac is up in Sacramento, Mutombo will be up in Denver.

[pickaxe]

Dr. Mutombo one day perhaps. You know, the fact he's played as long as he has in this league is almost like a ring of its own. Best for the future.

Retire his jersey....he worked damn hard to overcome that series. Not every player can even say they worked that hard in any series.

[el loco]

Should it? Eh, I'm not sure. He didn't spend a ton of time here, then bolted in free agency.

Will it? Yeah, almost certainly. Teams will do anything to retire jerseys - if Vlade Divac is up in Sacramento, Mutombo will be up in Denver.

That's about the same way that I feel about it.