Dikembe Mutombo was known through out his playing days as a defensive force and a stellar shot-blocker. You recall “Mt. Mutombo: 5,287 Feet” and “no, no, no.” Today, he’s known as a citizen of the world for his humanitarian efforts. he started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997. His efforts earned him the NBA’s Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009.
He’s basically one of the “Good Guys in Sports.” And that’s saying something, because there are so few.
The former NBA all-star is going to be in the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight the energy crisis in Africa next week.
To do this, he’s teaming up with the founder of Innovation: Africa, an award-winning NGO which has been leveraging Israeli innovation – like revolutionary Israeli solar technology – to transform the quality of life for people in rural villages across Africa.
Dikembe Mutombo and Innovation Africa’s founder – Sivan Yaari – will be launching a lighting installation together at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa. They will also be opening three solar installations, including a solar water project in partnership with CBN (Christian Broadcast Network), and two solar projects, at a local school and medical clinic in Bu Village outside of Kinshasa. Along the way, they’ll be joined by eight other NBA all-stars.
In honor of his humanitarianism, Mutombo was invited to President George W. Bush‘s 2007 State of the Union Address and was referred to as a “son of the Congo” by the President in his speech. Dikembe Mutombo later said, “My heart was full of joy. I didn’t know the President was going to say such great remarks.”
Mutombo serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which is a museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! The Postgame. He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, the History Channel and more. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)