On September 30, 2024, the world was shocked to learn about the passing of the former NBA All-Star, Dikembe Mutombo. As people around the globe mourn the loss of this amazing person, others reflect on his life and many accomplishments. 

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and the Houston Rockets. Even though he was very successful in the NBA, he did not always want to be a basketball player. When he was younger, he dreamt of being a doctor and mastered nine different languages. When he was 16, he started playing basketball but was not all that into it. In 1987, he moved from the DRC to Washington D.C., where he attended Georgetown University on an academic scholarship. 

Upon arriving at Georgetown, he caught the attention of John Thompson, the coach of the Georgetown basketball team. At this time, Mutombo was around seven feet and two inches tall, yet he was set on being a doctor and attending medical school. Once he joined the team, he played little to none during the actual games, but after proper training, he and his teammate, Alonzo Mourning, earned the nickname “Twin Towers” because of their extraordinary height and playing style. By his senior year, he was averaging 15.2 points per game as well as 12.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks. He was flying up the ranks and caught the eyes of the NBA as a “promising prospect.” 

During the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo was fourth overall pick and was taken in by the Denver Nuggets, where he spent five seasons. During his rookie season alone, he averaged 16.6 points per game and was granted a spot on the Western Conference All-Star Team. In the 93’-94 postseason, he helped his team take down the two-seeded Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs. In 1996, he began playing for the Atlanta Hawks and started his streak of winning the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). He was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after winning his fourth DPOY and taking the Hawks to the NBA finals. After playing for three other teams, he retired after the 2008-09 season. In 2015, Mutombo was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame with many honors and records. 

Outside of basketball, he was a charitable man who created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, a group focused on opening hospitals and making healthcare accessible for people in central Africa. After retiring from his beloved sport, Mutombo became the NBA’s Global Ambassador, traveling around the world, and spreading the love of basketball everywhere he went. He also won the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award two times, becoming the first two-time winner of the award. It’s clear that even though he did not become a doctor like he wanted to as a child, he still touched the lives of many through his foundation and love for the people. In 2022, Mutombo announced that he was diagnosed with brain cancer. The sickness was devastating and led to his passing on September 30th, 2024. 

Although his life was cut short, the fruits of his labor are still active today. He has impacted the lives of so many people, and those people may live by his ways because of him. Like falling dominos, one thing that he started years ago continues to have effects today. As people reflect on the life and legacy of Dikembe Mutombo, we should all strive to live by his example and make this world a better place.