Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo ( Dikembe Mutombo really Mpolondo Mukamba Jean- Jacque Wamutombo ) ( born June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa, Zaire ) is a former Congolese basketball player in the NBA.

Mutombo played the center position. With 2.18 meters ( Sport Bild reported in 1993 by a size of 2.20 meters and an arm span of 2.75 meters ) he was one of the greatest NBA players. His nickname Mount Mutombo he has received to block by its size and the ability litters - so to speak, an indomitable mountain. He is one of the best defensive players in NBA history, four times he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Eight times he participated in the NBA All- Star Game. Mutombo brought it to his 18-year NBA runtime to second place in the all-time block list, just behind the legend Hakeem Olajuwon. Legendary Mutombo is known for his habit of waving after successful block his opponent with a wagging finger, connected with the saying " Not in my house".

Childhood and youth

Mutombo, who has five brothers and two sisters, first visited the Institute Boboto, a school in Kinshasa. He then studied at the University of Georgetown, Washington DC and earned a master's degree in linguistics and diplomacy. In addition to English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, he speaks five African dialects. He started his footballing career as football goalkeeper. At the age of 16, he then moved on to basketball and was 20 years old in the national team of his native country Zaire. Through the agency of the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, he moved at the age of 21 years in 1987 at the University of Georgetown in the U.S. capital.

Career in the NBA

Dikembe Mutombo began his career on the basketball team at Georgetown University. In 1991, he was, after he had been voted the best defensive players in the draft drawn fourth of the Denver Nuggets. After his first NBA All- Rookie First Team year he was nominated for his performance in the NBA. He played five years in Denver, where he received a doped with $ 14 million contract for this life, then moved to the Atlanta Hawks. During the 2000/ 01 NBA season Mutombo joined the Philadelphia 76ers to. Here he reached the finals as the biggest success of his career. There, the 76ers lost, however, against the Los Angeles Lakers with 1:4. In 2003 he reached the New Jersey Nets again the Finals, there was hardly playing time. The Nets lost the final against the San Antonio Spurs with 2:4. Mutombo was still playing in the season 2003 /04 for the New York Knicks.

From the 2004/05 season with the Houston Rockets Mutombo was under contract. He was most recently the age of 42 the oldest player in the NBA and took the star center of the Houston Rockets Yao Ming (2.29 m ) during its violation worthy. Mutombo had announced to end his career as a basketball player after the 2007/ 08 NBA season, but decided because of its impressive performance during the injury to Yao Ming but to remain in the NBA. On 30 December 2008, he signed then for the rest of the NBA season 2008/ 09 with the Rockets.

In a duel with Greg Oden, in the second play-off game of the Rockets against the Portland Trail Blazers, he fell hard to the floor and pulled an injury to the leg. Hereupon he told the age of 42 his resignation.

Others

Mutombo 's athlete ambassador of development organization Right to Play. 2010 he received for a Laureus World Sports Award. Furthermore, Mutombo is the only winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which this award for community involvement twice awarded (2001, 2009).

The German sportswear company Adidas brought the early 1990s, a special Mutombo - collection on the market. At this time, Mutombo also campaigned for a private triple cheeseburger the fast-food chain McDonald's. More advertising contracts existed in the early 1990s with Pepsi, Lock ( travel bags ) and Safeway. With " Dikembe block " appeared at that time also a CD of him. The plan in 1993 was also an animated TV series, served as Superman in the Mutombo

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