NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, who died from brain cancer last year, was celebrated by the City of Atlanta at a public memorial on May 31.
According to 11 Alive, the service honored the legacy of Mutombo, a thoughtful humanitarian who gave back during and after his NBA career, which included a stint with the Atlanta Hawks.
The memorial took place at the McCamish Pavilion, located on the Georgia Tech campus. Mutombo, 58, who hailed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo died on Sept. 30, 2024.
“Atlanta has been our home for almost 30 years, and the outpouring of love and support for Dikembe has been overwhelming,” said his wife, Rose Mutombo. “We wanted to create a space for everyone to celebrate his life and the profound impact he had in this community and throughout the world.”
The family has also announced that it has created the Dikembe Mutombo Memorial Fund, which aims to help several organizations and projects that he championed, including: the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the DRC and Friends of Africa.
Mutombo, a fierce shot-blocker who famously waved his long index finger toward opponents when he rejected their attempts, was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago. He pursued treatment in Atlanta.
Before his successful NBA career, Mutombo played his college ball at Georgetown University. Mutombo, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning, three of the best centers to play in the NBA in the 1990s, were coached by the late John Thompson, the university’s revered longtime head coach.
Mutombo, one of only three players to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year four times, retired after the 2008-09 season. Mutombo was selected to the NBA All-Star Game eight times and was a three-time All-NBA pick. In his career, he averaged 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
The African native spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997. He spent his remaining days involved in charitable and humanitarian causes.
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