With that, he helped the Nuggets finish with a 42-40 record and qualify as the eighth seed in the playoffs. During that season, Mutombo averaged 12.0 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game, and 4.1 blocks per game. The 1993–94 season saw Denver continue to improve with Mutombo as the franchise cornerstone. Mutombo began establishing himself as one of the league's best defensive players, regularly putting up big rebound and block numbers. As a rookie, Mutombo was selected for the All-Star team and averaged 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game. in the house of Mutombo", a reference to his prolific shot-blocking. That year, Mutombo starred in an Adidas advertisement that used the catchphrase "Man does not fly . After blocking a player's shot, he would point his right index finger at that player and move it side to side. He developed his signature move in 1992 as a way to become more marketable and gain product endorsement contracts. The Nuggets ranked last in the NBA in opponent points-per-game and Defensive Rating, and Mutombo's shot-blocking ability made an immediate impression across the league. In the 1991 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets drafted Mutombo with the fourth overall pick. Mutombo playing for the Denver Nuggets against Olden Polynice of the Clippers In 1991, he graduated with bachelor's degrees in linguistics and diplomacy. Like many other Washington-area college students, he served as a summer intern, once for the Congress of the United States and once for the World Bank. Īt Georgetown, Mutombo's international background and interests stood out. Mutombo was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1990 (shared with Mourning) and in 1991. Building on the shot-blocking power of Mutombo and teammate Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown fans created a "Rejection Row" section under the basket, adding a big silhouette of an outstretched hand to a banner for each shot blocked during the game. During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a game. He spoke almost no English when he arrived at Georgetown and studied in the ESL program. He originally intended to become a doctor, but the Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John Thompson recruited him to play basketball. Mutombo attended Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship. He moved to the United States in 1987 at the age of 21 to enroll in college. At around age 16, Mutombo decided to also work on his basketball career at the encouragement of his father and brother due to his height. He played football and participated in martial arts. For high school, Mutombo went to Boboto College in Kinshasa to lay the groundwork for his medical career as the classes were more challenging there. Mutombo speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and five Central African languages, including Lingala and Tshiluba. His father worked as a school principal and then in Congo's department of education. Mutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as one of 10 children to Samuel and Biamba Marie Mutombo. On September 11, 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Īt the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. On January 10, 2007, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second most prolific shot blocker in NBA history, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon, and he averaged a double-double for most of his career. The 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), 260-pound (120 kg) center, who began his career with the Georgetown Hoyas, is commonly regarded as one of the best shot blockers and defensive players of all time, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times he was also an eight-time All-Star. Outside of basketball, he has become well known for his humanitarian work. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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