Officials mourn loss of Dikembe Mutombo

DeKalb County is mourning the loss of former Atlanta Hawk player, NBA Hall of Fame inductee, and humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo, who died at the age of 58 on Sept. 30.

Mutombo was an advocate in DeKalb County during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging people to get vaccinated at both Stonecrest Mall and South DeKalb malls along with Hawks’ superstar and Hall of Famer Domonique Wilkins as part of a campaign designed by county leaders.

“Dikembe Mutombo was dedicated to using his gifts and talents to uplift his community both here in Georgia and across Africa,” stated DeKalb County CEO Micheal Thurmond. “His ‘No No No, not in my house Covid-19’ became the inspiration for thousands to get vaccinated as a part of our ‘Get Vaxxed’ Covid-19 campaign. He will sorely be missed.”

The “No, No, No, not in my house COVID-19” campaign paid homage to Mutombo’s legendary defensive prowess on the basketball court, where his signature move was to wag his finger after blocking an opponent’s shot.

Before being selected as the fourth pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo anchored the Georgetown Hoyas’ defense giving the team career average of roughly four blocks per game and 9 rebounds per game. He also gave the Hoyas’ a career average of around 10 points per game on offense. He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice and was named to the All-Big East Team in his last two years at Georgetown.

During his NBA career, Mutombo averaged a double-double giving his team roughly 10 points per game with 10 rebounds per game on average. He also averaged three blocks per game throughout his career, with a highest single game record being 12 blocks against the Clippers. He was an eight-time NBA All-Star, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, a two-time NBA Rebounding Leader, and a three-time NBA Blocks Leader.

During his 18-year NBA career, Mutombo played for the Denver Nuggets, the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, and the Houston Rockets. He is second all-time in blocked shots in NBA history.

The Atlanta Hawks retired Mutombo’s jersey in 2018.

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”