Dikembe Mutombo was born in the capital city of Kinshasa which is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).  Dikembe arrived in the US on a USAID scholarship to attend Georgetown University.

As a pre-med major, his dream was to become a medical doctor and return to the Congo to practice medicine. In his second year at Georgetown, coach John Thompson convinced the 7'2" Mutombo to join the university's basketball team.

After joining the the team, Dikembe redirected his medical ambitions and graduated from Georgetown with dual degrees in Linguistics and Diplomacy.

Dikembe is fluent in nine languages including four African languages. In the fall of 2003, Dikembe joined the New York Knicks becoming their new center. He is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner and ranks 1st in NBA rebounds per game.