“No matter what the circumstances are, you have to give people hope. You have to let them know there is light up there, … and that is what we are trying to do, too.” – Dikembe Mutombo
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Dikemebe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, more commonly known as Dikembe Mutombo is a retired professional basketball player known as one of the most prolific shot-blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Beside his incredible legacy on the court and his trademark finger-wagging and elbow-wielding, he is also known for his amazing dedication and commitment to his humanitarian work.
Mutombo’s basketball legacy began at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. where his plan was to become a doctor. He never did make it to the med school. But he did graduate with a dual degree in linguistics (his first language is French and he speaks nine languages, including five African dialects) and diplomacy.
“I’m so glad I didn’t become a doctor,” said Mutombo. “Because I do more than any doctor can do.”
In 1997, Mutombo founded the Diekembe Mutomno Foundation to help to improve the health, education, and the quality of life for the people on the African continent, especially for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“I got sick and tired of seeing people dying at a young age,” Mutombo said. “It hurt me a lot. People were dying from diseases that were treatable. I thought I could be part of the change and contribute to society and to mankind.”
In 2007, Mutomno opened the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – in memory of his late mother, Biamba Marie Mutombo. The hospital not only treats and saves lives, but it has been a training place for fellows, residents and medical students to learn and work.
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Mutombo has been one of the leaders of Basketball Without Borders/Africa, the NBA and the International Basketball Federations’s global basketball development and community outreach program. Not only that, but Mutombo serves on the boards of the National Constitution Center, Opportunity International, Special Olympics International and on the National Board for U.S. Fund for UNICEF. In 2009, NBA Commissioner David Stern appointed Mutombo to the newly-created position of Global Ambassador. And has recently been elected to the board of directors of the CDC Foundation.
Mutombo has received numerous honors and awards including the 32nd Annual Thurman Munson Award, the Goodermote Humanitarian Award, the President’s Service Award from President Clinton, Big Brothers Big Sisters New York City Achievement in Public Service Award, the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, and the John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award. Mutombo is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta 2014.
Mutombo’s 18 years in the NBA is a testament to his talents and dedication as an athlete, but it is nothing in comparison to his continuing fight and passion to promote global health:
“Maybe we can’t solve all the world’s problems, but we can do what we can.”
– Dikembe Mutombo
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The Good Men Project Sports’ Tuesday weekly feature, Doing It Right, highlights athletes who gives back and make a difference in our society.
Photo: Flickr/Angel Navedo