Nicknamed " Mount Mutombo " for his defensive prowess, he is commonly regarded as one of the best shot-blockers and defensive players of all time. Outside of basketball, he was known for his humanitarian work. A 7-footinch 2.
Those plans changed when John Thompson , coach of the Georgetown Hoyas , recruited him to play college basketball. Mutombo played three seasons for Georgetown, establishing a reputation as a tenacious defender. He led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams.
Dikembe had 9 siblings. For high school, Dikembe Mutombo went to Boboto College in Kinshasa to lay the groundwork for his medical career as the classes were more challenging there. He played football and participated in martial arts. He originally intended to become a doctor, but the Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John Thompson recruited him to play basketball. During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a game.
At Georgetown, Mutombo's international background and interests stood out. Like many other Washington-area college students, he served as a summer intern, once for Robert Matsui , a member of the Congress of the United States from California, and once at the World Bank. He developed his signature move, in which he would celebrate every blocked shot by pointing his right index finger at the opposing player and moving it side to side, [ 26 ] in as a way to become more marketable and gain product-endorsement contracts.
As a rookie, Mutombo was selected for the All-Star team and averaged The β94 season saw Denver continue to improve with Mutombo as the franchise cornerstone. During that season, Mutombo averaged They were matched up with the top-seeded 63β19 Seattle SuperSonics in the first round. After falling to an 0β2 deficit in the five-game series, Denver won three straight games to pull off a major playoff upset , becoming the first eighth seed to defeat a number one seed in an NBA playoff series.
