Editing Dikembe Mutombo (section)

{{Short description|Congolese-American basketball player (1966–2024)}}
{{Redirect2|Dikembe|Mutombo|other uses|Dikembe (disambiguation)|and|Mutombo (name)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
 | name              = Dikembe Mutombo
 | image             = Lipofsky-Dikembe Mutombo (cropped).jpg
 | width             = 
 | caption           = Mutombo with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2002
 | birth_date        = {{birth date|1966|6|25}}
 | death_date        = {{death date and age|2024|9|30|1966|6|25|mf=yes}}
 | birth_place       = [[Kinshasa|Léopoldville]], [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo-Léopoldville]]
 | death_place       = [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], U.S.
 | nationality       = Congolese / American
 | height_ft         = 7
 | height_in         = 2
 | weight_lb         = 260
 | weight_footnote   = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Dikembe Mutombo|url=https://stats.nba.com/player/87/|website=NBA Stats|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>
 | high_school       = [[Boboto College|Institute Boboto]] (Kinshasa, DR Congo)
 | college           = [[Georgetown University]] (1988–1991)
 | draft_year        = 1991
 | draft_round       = 1
 | draft_pick        = 4
| draft_team = [[Denver Nuggets]]
 | career_position   = [[Center (basketball)|Center]]
 | career_number     = 55
 | career_start      = 1991
| career_end = 2009
 | years1            = {{nbay|1991|start}}–{{nbay|1995|end}}
 | team1             = [[Denver Nuggets]]
 | years2            = {{nbay|1996|start}}–{{nbay|2000|end}}
 | team2             = [[Atlanta Hawks]]
 | years3            = {{nbay|2000|end}}–{{nbay|2001|end}}
 | team3             = [[Philadelphia 76ers]]
 | years4            = {{nbay|2002|full=y}}
 | team4             = [[Brooklyn Nets|New Jersey Nets]]
 | years5            = {{nbay|2003|full=y}}
 | team5             = [[New York Knicks]]
 | years6            = {{nbay|2004|start}}–{{nbay|2008|end}}
 | team6             = [[Houston Rockets]]
| highlights = * 8× [[NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1992}}, {{nasg|1995}}–{{nasg|1998}}, {{nasg|2000}}–{{nasg|2002}})
* [[All-NBA Second Team]] ({{nbay|2000|end}})
* 2× [[All-NBA Third Team]] ({{nbay|1997|end}}, {{nbay|2001|end}})
* 4× [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]] ({{nbay|1994|end}}, {{nbay|1996|end}}, {{nbay|1997|end}}, {{nbay|2000|end}})
* 3× [[NBA All-Defensive First Team]] ({{nbay|1996|end}}, {{nbay|1997|end}}, {{nbay|2000|end}})
* 3× [[NBA All-Defensive Second Team]] ({{nbay|1994|end}}, {{nbay|1998|end}}, {{nbay|2001|end}})
* [[NBA All-Rookie First Team]] ({{nbay|1991|end}})
* 2× [[List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders|NBA rebounding leader]] (2000, 2001)
* 3× [[List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders|NBA blocks leader]] (1994–1996)
* No. 55 [[Atlanta Hawks#Retired numbers|retired by Atlanta Hawks]]
* No. 55 [[Denver Nuggets#Retired numbers|retired by Denver Nuggets]]
* Third-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] – [[Associated Press|AP]], [[United Press International|UPI]] ([[1991 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1991]])
* First-team [[List of All-Big East Conference men's basketball teams|All-Big East]] (1991)
* Second-team All-Big East (1990)
* 2× [[Big East Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year|Big East Defensive Player of the Year]] (1990, 1991)
 | stats_league      = NBA
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 11,729 (9.8 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value = 12,359 (10.3 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Block (basketball)|Blocks]]
| stat3value = 3,289 (2.8 bpg)
| HOF_player = Dikembe-Mutombo
}}

'''Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo''' (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024) was a Congolese-American professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). Nicknamed "'''Mount Mutombo'''" for his defensive prowess, he is commonly regarded as one of the best [[block (basketball)|shot-blockers]] and defensive players of all time. Outside of basketball, he was known for his humanitarian work.

A {{convert|7|ft|2|in|adj=on}} [[center (basketball)|center]], Mutombo moved to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to attend [[Georgetown University]] with the hope of eventually earning a medical degree and returning to the DRC to practice medicine. Those plans changed when [[John Thompson (basketball)|John Thompson]], coach of the [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown Hoyas]], recruited him to play [[college basketball]]. Mutombo played three seasons for Georgetown, establishing a reputation as a tenacious defender.

In 1991 the [[Denver Nuggets]] chose him with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. During his NBA career, he played for six teams, in the [[NBA Finals]] for the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] in 2001 and for the [[New Jersey Nets]] in 2003. He received the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award]] four times, tied with [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]] and [[Rudy Gobert]] for the most awards. He led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight [[NBA All-Star|All-Star]] teams. As of the 2023-2024 NBA season, he ranks second among [[List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders|NBA career leaders in blocked shots]].

At the conclusion of the [[2009 NBA playoffs]], Mutombo retired and his number 55 jersey [[retired number|was retired]] by the Nuggets and [[Atlanta Hawks]]. He was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 2015.