Retired Mutombo honored for humanitarian work
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Dikembe Mutombo has become the first person to receive the NBA's humanitarian award twice, two days after ending his glittering 18-year career on the court.
The 42-year-old Congolese was named the winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award on Thursday, presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association
(PBWA).
Mutombo, who retired from the game after suffering a knee injury during the Houston Rockets' 107-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, also won the award in 2001.
"That Dikembe Mutombo would be the first player to repeat as a J. Walter Kennedy award winner speaks as highly of the honor as it does of him," PBWA president Doug Smith said in a statement.
"His and his foundation's continuing efforts in building, maintaining and improving the hospital in Kinshasa are widely known and set a standard for NBA players and, frankly, athletes across all sports."
The eight-time NBA All-Star established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in his native Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997 to raise finds for charity, leading to a $29 million, 300-bed hospital dedicated to fighting malaria.
"This is something I will do for the rest of my life," said Mutombo, who had planned to be a doctor when he enrolled at Georgetown University on an academic scholarship in 1987.
"No matter what I go do, whether it is working for the league or business for myself, doing humanitarian work, I don't think there will be anybody who can stop me."
The 7-foot-2 center played 18 seasons in the league with six different teams and proved to be one of the most effective shot-blocking players of all time.
His rangy elbows sent many opponents to the sidelines with facial fractures as he became the NBA's defensive player of the year four times.
Mutombo averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 1,196 games for Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
