A Booming Voice, an Infectious Smile, and a Great Man: The Dikembe Mutombo I Remember

On the same day, sadly, the world also lost baseball legend Pete Rose at 83 years old.

Interestingly, both men were known equally for what they did off the court or field as what they did on it, but in two very different ways. I am not going to write about Rose or whether or not he belongs in the Hall of Fame (he does). Instead, I want to talk for a few minutes about 'Deke' and the impact he had not just on basketball, but the world, as well as on a very young Georgetown student (me). 

I went to school with Mutombo during the three years he spent at Georgetown, back when Georgetown was synonymous with college basketball powerhouses. I am not going to pretend we were friends (we weren't) or that I have any special insights (I don't), but it was a different world in those years. Yes, athletes were still celebrities on campus, but they were on campus. And (for the most part) they mingled and socialized just like other students. And, at Georgetown under the late John Thompson, they absolutely went to class. 

Mutombo enrolled at Georgetown with another future legend, Alonzo Mourning, but what many people might not remember is that unlike Mourning -- who was so good in high school, he was almost named to the 1988 U.S. Olympic team before even playing a single game in college -- Mutombo was pretty much an unknown. All anyone knew about him was that at 7'2", he was very tall. 

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Thompson knew how good he was, though. Paired with Mourning, who was often hailed as the second coming of Patrick Ewing in a Hoya uniform, he knew he had perhaps the most intimidating front line in all of college basketball. But Thompson was also sensitive to Mutombo's adjustment into America (he spoke almost no English when he first enrolled) and the college game, so he never started Mutombo during his first year (he entered college as a sophomore, not a freshman). Famously, after that first season, Thompson recalled telling fellow coaching legend John Wooden how he was reluctant to play the two together, to which Wooden responded, 'I know. And your opponents loved you for it.'

That error would be corrected the following year and then, in Mutombo's final year, with Mourning sidelined with an injury for much of the season, he became the Hoyas' leading scorer in addition to his defensive prowess.

But as much as we loved putting up 'Rejection Row' signs during the games and watching Mutombo dominate the paint for three years, it is the person he was off the court that endeared him to all Georgetown students at the time. He always had a huge smile on his face and you could hear his deep, booming voice and thick Congolese accent halfway across campus whenever he shouted and laughed (and he almost always shouted and laughed when he spoke). He would announce his presence in the cafeteria or ... ahem ... the late-night bar in this manner to the delight of everyone. Some of the things he shouted in the pub were not suitable for repeating (you can check that out here) but it was always in a good-mannered and fun-loving voice. 

I remember after Mutombo graduated, he came back a year later for Mourning's graduation. As usual, he was all smiles and boisterous greetings. I was graduating that same year and my little brother, who wasn't even 5 feet tall at the time, still has a picture of himself bracketed by Mutombo and an equally beaming Mourning in his cap and gown, like two twin towers of future NBA glory. 

Of course, it was after Mutombo graduated that the rest of the world really got to know the man so beloved by Georgetown students. We all remember the famous finger wag that became an indelible cultural touchstone, so much so that he was featured in commercials for just that (and for the voice). 

Yes, he was the same defensive force on the court with the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, and others, but the world got to know that the man he was off the court was far more impressive than the future Hall of Famer on it. 

'When you take the elevator to the top, he once said, 'please don't forget to send it down, so that someone else can take it to the top.'

Mutombo did just that. One of his first projects when he achieved NBA fame and wealth was to build a 300-bed hospital back in his native Congo and name it for his mother. Over the years after that, he was a passionate advocate against the spread of disease in Africa and, as noted in the NBA announcement above, became the NBA's first global ambassador. 

Throughout his post-NBA life, Mutombo gave many speeches and was featured in George Bush's 2007 State of the Union address where he was seated next to First Lady Laura Bush. In all of those talks, he emphasized the importance of giving back to your community and he lived that credo through his global philanthropy. 

His friends and colleagues remembered him for that just as much as his play on the court. 

I’m so heartbroken to hear about the passing of my dear friend and basketball Hall of Famer, Dikembe Mutombo. He was not only a great basketball player who could protect the rim as an elite shot-blocker, but also an incredible man with a pure heart of gold. He dedicated much of… pic.twitter.com/2XKgju5Nii

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 30, 2024

He dedicated much of his life to serving others, which is evident through his lasting impact both in the U.S. and in Africa. Through his foundation, he helped build a remarkable $29 million hospital in his home country of Congo, personally contributing $15 million to the project! As an NBA Global Ambassador and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, he received numerous well-deserved awards over the years for his humanitarian efforts. 

I will truly miss his big smile, his spirit, and his powerful voice. Cookie and I are keeping his wife Rose, his children, and the rest of his family in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.

On Instagram, Mourning wrote this of his friend and former teammate: 

'It’s a sad day. The world lost a good man. A beautiful soul. Dekembe Mutombo brought joy and laughter to all that had a chance to meet him. A fierce defensive competitor that earned him a spot into the Basketball Hall of Fame. A selfless giver that earned him a spot in the hearts of many. I’ve known Deke since I was 18yrs old. Roommates in college. We developed a strong brotherly family bond over the 36 years.

My brotha I Love you. I’m going to miss you dearly. I know you’re in God’s hands now. I ask that you all keep Rose his wife and the rest of the Mutombo family in your prayers.

Rest in Power Deke.'

Mutombo's son also recognized what his father brought most to the world, and it wasn't blocked shots: 

Dikembe Mutombo's son, Ryan, shared a special message honoring his father ❤️

(via ryanmutombo/IG) pic.twitter.com/hHvrpJwFDx

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 30, 2024

We live in a jaded world today and the sports world is no exception. We hear stories of overprivileged and uber-wealthy athletes doing bad things far too often and politics has made sports even more controversial. 

In that world, Mutombo was the exception. A pure heart of love and joy and community in a world sorely lacking in many of those qualities too often. 

For me, I have written in the past about some of the horrible actions Georgetown University has taken in the name of 'woke ideology' in recent years, actions that almost make me ashamed of my alma mater. 

But if for no other reason, I can still take pride in the fact that I once shared a campus with a great man with the unique (and very long) name of Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo. 

We will miss you, Deke. The world will miss you and your spirit. You were -- and are -- an inspiration.