Congo Runners Win Silver, Bronze in Nation’s First Special Olympics
Mutombo's Mission at the Special Olympics World Games
July 28, 2025 - Dikembe Mutombo walked with the Congo delegation during the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games, a delegation he helped bring to Los Angeles. For Mutombo, who became involved with Special Olympics early on in his 18-year NBA career, the challenge was simply finding intellectually disabled people in his native country. He helped build a $30-million, 300-bed hospital on the outskirts of his hometown and had yet to see a single person with intellectual disabilities in the eight years since. "I come from a country that thinks intellectually disabled children are a curse, taboo, something your mom, an auntie, a grandpop did wrong. ... That's how I was raised," Mutombo said. "I said [to Special Olympics], 'Give me a chance and I'll find them and bring them to L.A.' It was a year-and-a-half process." Through his foundation and with a financial contribution from Google, Mutombo found four centers that housed intellectually disabled kids -- "because the government did not do it," he said. "Seventy-five percent of these kids were abandoned."
Dikembe Mutombo:
Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017
ESPN’s World Winter Games coverage includes live three-hour Opening Ceremony featuring Parade of Athletes, Special Guests.
From Sunday, March 19, through Friday, March 24, a nightly program – Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 – will bring viewers the stories, competition showcase, interviews and more from Austria. And Dikembe Mutombo will be a part of it all. “Special Olympics reflects all the very best aspects of sports – its power to inspire, forge bonds, build confidence and impact lives,” said Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International. “As storytellers and sports lovers, the World Winter Games represents an incredible opportunity for ESPN to showcase amazing stories of perseverance, strength, acceptance and inclusion to a global audience. These are remarkable athletes and we’re extraordinarily excited to tell their stories around the world.”
Read more:
ESPN's Groundbreaking Coverage
Special Olympics Coverage From Austria
From Sunday, March 19, through Friday, March 24, a nightly program – Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 – will bring viewers the stories, competition showcase, interviews and more from Austria. And Dikembe Mutombo will be a part of it all. “Special Olympics reflects all the very best aspects of sports – its power to inspire, forge bonds, build confidence and impact lives,” said Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International. “As storytellers and sports lovers, the World Winter Games represents an incredible opportunity for ESPN to showcase amazing stories of perseverance, strength, acceptance and inclusion to a global audience. These are remarkable athletes and we’re extraordinarily excited to tell their stories around the world.”
Read more:
ESPN's Groundbreaking Coverage
Special Olympics Coverage From Austria
Dikembe Mutombo Proves Changing the World Isn't 'Crazy' After All
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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Dikembe Mutombo may have an easy smile and famous gravelly laugh, but the NBA Hall of Famer does not mess around. The Georgetown graduate proved them wrong and went on to become an eight-time all-star and one of most celebrated defensive players in the sport's history. Mutombo retired in 2009, and traded in his jersey for expensive blue suits. His mission is now saving and improving lives, not blocking shots. He's using his stature and fame to help some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable. In Dec. 2007, the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital's emergency room, intensive care unit and 150 beds began serving patients in Kinshasa, the capital of his homeland.
The hospital named after his late mother is part of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation — a multi-million dollar charity that seeks to improve health and education in one of the world's poorest countries. Read more here. |
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'Ultimate Humanitarian' & Great Athlete: Atlanta Hawks Retire Mutombo's Jersey
Learn More About Our Founder on The Players' Tribune
When the Toronto Raptors opened their first NBA season in 1995 the league was hoping to expand its reach by making the game more popular north of the border. Now, 20 years later, the growth has been so immense that for the first time in league history, the all-star game will be held outside of the United States when it takes place on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Air Canada Centre.
Our Founder's Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
Dikembe Mutombo delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2015. To learn more about Dikembe Mutombo take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio here.
Democratic Republic of Congo Special Olympic Athletes Practice
Democratic Republic of Congo Special Olympic athletes practice at Santa Maria High School in Santa Maria, CA, Thursday, July 23, 2016. This is the first time athletes from the DRC will compete in the Special Olympics World Games. That is largely due to civil war that engulfed the nation for seven years until a tenuous peace agreement was reached in 2013. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)
Dikembe Mutombo Visits Cuba with Steve Nash
April 21. 2015 -- Havana, Cuba: Basketball great Dikembe Mutombo sank baskets from seemingly every position on the court Thursday as a half-dozen Cuban players watched admiringly on the first day of an NBA training camp aimed at boosting the game's popularity on the communist-run island following the declaration of detente between Washington and Havana.
Georgetown University: Dikembe Mutombo Awarded Timothy S. Healy, S.J. Award
The Georgetown University Alumni Association is delighted to share that a longtime member of the alumni community, Dikembe Mutombo (C’91, H’10), Hoya basketball great, president and CEO of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation and member of the board of directors for the CDC Foundation, received the Timothy S. Healy, S.J. Award at John Carroll Weekend this year in Los Angeles, April 16-19. The Timothy S. Healy, S.J. Award, named for the 46th president of Georgetown University (1976-1989), was established in 1996 to recognize an alumnus or alumnae who has rendered outstanding community, public or professional service in support of humanitarian causes. The discussion was joined by President John J. DeGioia and Paul Tagliabue (C'62), Georgetown Board of Directors chair and former NFL commissioner, as they explain the role that sports has played in their respective charitable endeavors and the influence Georgetown's Catholic and Jesuit values have had on their ongoing commitments to helping others.
Dikembe Mutombo meets with Prince William & Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton
Dikembe Mutombo sat with the royal couple to help promote The Royal Foundation's new partnership with the league at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn during the Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game on December 9, 2014.
Dikembe Mutombo Among Finalists for NBA Hall of Fame
February 14, 2025 - Defensive wizard Dikembe Mutombo was named one of 12 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
NBA All-Star Game 2015
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NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo talks with former president Bill Clinton during the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on February 15, 2025 in New York City.
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Coach Core Ceremony: Prince Harry Meets Dikembe
Dikembe Mutombo was honored to join Prince Harry on January 14, 2026 during a Coach Core Graduation event at St. James's Palace.
The Coach Core model, a year's apprenticeship, aspires to produce well qualified sports coaches to work in the community. The apprentices learn technical sport skills alongside an inclusive and holistic approach to coaching, with an emphasis on employability and mentoring skill. The graduation ceremony further celebrates the partnership between The Royal Foundation and the NBA which was announced during The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's trip to the US in December 2014. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
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Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Gala 2014 |
Dikembe Mutombo attended the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple for Hope Gala Dinner on December 16, 2025 in New York City.
Clinton Global Initiative - 10th Annual Meeting 2014
Hosted by President Bill Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton, the 10th Annual Meeting will bring CGI members together under the 2014 theme of Reimagining Impact to facilitate the development of forward-thinking approaches that re-envision the way we impact the world.
Dikembe Mutombo Joined NBA Commissioner and 22 Others in NYC Marathon Relay [read more]
Celebrating Service and Presidential Socks: 2014 Points of Light Tribute
Below: Basketball great Dikembe Mutombo with prodigy cellist Justin Yu alongside honorary co-chair Yue-Sai Kan.
American Graduate Day 2014
Dikembe Mutombo - My Brother's Keeper
A Glance at the Starkey Hearing Foundation Mission - July 2014
NBA Global Ambassador, Dikembe Mutombo looks on with glee as a young Congolese girl receives the gift of hearing. Over the course of three days, the Starkey Hearing Foundation provided close to 1500 hearing aids to deaf and hearing-impaired patients at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the capital city of Kinshasa.
Dikembe helped save the life of Kabulo, a Congolese girl who was premature at birth 9 years ago. Kabulo was in dire need for hearing aids. Dikembe fulfilled her need and helped her receive the Gift of Hearing with a new hearing device from the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Dikembe helped save the life of Kabulo, a Congolese girl who was premature at birth 9 years ago. Kabulo was in dire need for hearing aids. Dikembe fulfilled her need and helped her receive the Gift of Hearing with a new hearing device from the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
So the World May Hear Gala 2014
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo with Mrs. Hillary Clinton for the 14th annual So the World May Hear Awards Gala in St. Paul, MN (July 20, 2025). World leaders and celebrities came to St. Paul to support and celebrate the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s gala which honors men and women whose contributions have helped make the world a better place. The event is also Starkey Hearing Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser and this year’s gala raised a record-setting $8.7 million to support the Foundation’s charitable work around the world. As a member of President Clinton’s Global Initiative, the Foundation has pledged to fit and give one million hearing aids this decade.
100 Black Men of America's Chairman Awards Gala 2014
Swan House Ball 2014
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo attend the 2014 Swan House Ball in Atlanta, Georgia (April 26, 2025)
The elegant and intimate annual Swan House Ball is one of the premier social events in the Southeast and the largest single fundraiser for the Atlanta History Center. Funds raised at this 2014 gala will provide crucial support for the operations of the Atlanta History Center and its educational activities. This 2014 Swan House Ball honored Governor Nathan Deal and Mayor Kasim Reed and was chaired by Aimee Chubb.
The elegant and intimate annual Swan House Ball is one of the premier social events in the Southeast and the largest single fundraiser for the Atlanta History Center. Funds raised at this 2014 gala will provide crucial support for the operations of the Atlanta History Center and its educational activities. This 2014 Swan House Ball honored Governor Nathan Deal and Mayor Kasim Reed and was chaired by Aimee Chubb.
French-American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia: Honoring Dikembe Mutombo
On Friday, June 6, 2014, the Philadelphia Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce honored Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Legend, Humanitarian, and Chairman and President of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, Inc. FACC President Peter Tucci presented the 2014 Global Leadership Award to Mr. Mutombo at the 24th Annual Fête du Printemps, Black Tie Spring Gala, at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel. Guests enjoyed an International Executive Networking Reception, Gourmet Dinner with Wine Pairings, Music and Dancing with the Untouchables, and a Raffle to win Delta Air Lines Round Trip Business Class Travel from the US to Europe, Philadelphia 76ers Basketballs autographed by Mr. Mutombo, and other prizes. For more info, visit www.FACCphila.org
George A. Lottier Golf Tournament
Dikembe Mutombo participates in the 19th Annual George A. Lottier Scholarship Golf Tournament at the Country Club of Roswell, Roswell, GA (June 2, 2025). The George A. Lottier Golf Foundation's mission is to provide support and training for future golfers and to assist qualified minority journalism students in enriching their education. To date the event has provided over $145,000 in internships and scholarships.
Dikembe Mutombo distribute toys to sick children at Chidren's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding.
With deep roots of caring for families in Atlanta, the Hughes Spalding Pavilion first opened in 1952. Today, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding continues its legacy of care. Sick and injured children need the expertise of trained pediatric specialists, and now, patients who live downtown and on the south side of Atlanta have a world-class facility within their neighborhood.
Children's at Hughes Spalding manages more than 75,000 patients annually.
With deep roots of caring for families in Atlanta, the Hughes Spalding Pavilion first opened in 1952. Today, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding continues its legacy of care. Sick and injured children need the expertise of trained pediatric specialists, and now, patients who live downtown and on the south side of Atlanta have a world-class facility within their neighborhood.
Children's at Hughes Spalding manages more than 75,000 patients annually.
Danny Glover and NBA player Dikembe Mutombo attend The Ninth Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball at Cipriani, Wall Street on December 3, 2025 in New York City
His Excellency, President John Mahama of the Republic of Ghana
Dikembe Mutombo meets with His Excellency, President John Mahama of the Republic of Ghana at a Welcoming Reception hosted by Kennesaw State University.
UNICEF Audrey Hepburn Ball
The UNICEF Audrey Hepburn Society Ball Dikembe and Rose Mutombo at The UNICEF Audrey Hepburn Society Ball at the Wortham Center Brown Theater on September 6, 2025 in Houston, Texas. Mutombo serves on the Southeastern Board of Directors for UNICEF.
Concordia Summit in NYC
The Concordia Summit in NYC: Promoting Public-Private Partnerships Dikembe Mutombo with Mrs. Cindy McCain and Moderator, Matthew Swift.
President Jimmy Carter - America's Sunday Supper
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo with President Jimmy Carter at the America's Sunday Supper event. Mutombo was a Table Host for the evening.
Starkey Hearing Foundation - President Clinton
President Bill Clinton shares a laugh with Dikembe and Rose Mutombo at the Starkey Hearing Foundation gala in Minnesota.
So The World May Hear Awards Gala
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo join Bill and Tani Austin at the So The World May Hear Awards gala. Bill and Tani Austin are the Founders of the Starkey Hearing Foundation which has given more than 1 million hearing aids to people in need throughout the world.
The Points of Light Foundation Awards Ceremony
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo attend The Points of Light Foundation's, 5,000th "Daily Point of Light" awards ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Dikembe and Bono at the 2013 Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit in New York.
UNICEF Annual Meeting - NYC
Segal Family Foundation NYC 2013
Dikembe Mutombo and President Bill Clinton attend the Segal Family Foundation Annual meeting in NYC on May 1, 2013.
Caring for Congo Gala 2013
Reverend Joseph and Mrs. Evelyn Lowery are greeted warmly by Dikembe and Rose Mutombo at the Caring for Congo gala in Atlanta.
Caring for Congo Humanitarian Award 2013
Dikembe Mutombo and DMF board member Richard Berman presenting Amy Robbins, Founder of the Nduna Foundation with the Caring for Congo Humanitarian award (April 2013).
George W. Bush President Library
Dikembe Mutombo attends the George W. Bush President Library Dedication Ceremony in Dallas, TX (April 2013).
Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham 2013
Dikembe Mutombo with Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham after his speech at Arizona State University for the 2013 Sedona Forum.
Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital
Dikembe Mutombo visits with a hospital patient at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
UNFP Meeting - Kinshasa, DRC
Dikembe Mutombo greets the participants at the UNFP meeting held at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa.
Richard Berman & Dikembe Hospital Tour
Hospital staff accompany Dikembe Mutombo, DMF board member, Richard Berman and two bio-medical engineers from the U.S., Mr. Coco Kanda and Mr. Eben Amstrong on a tour of the hospital.
Seigakuin Atlanta International School
Dikembe Mutombo receives a warm welcome from the children at the Seigakuin Atlanta International School where they held a Christmas pageant and provided gifts for the sick children at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the Congo.
UNICEF Snowflake Ball NYC 2013
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo with UNICEF, CEO Caryl Stern at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball in NYC.
Katy Perry - UNICEF Snowflake Ball NYC
Dikembe Mutombo and singer Katy Perry smile for a photo at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball in New York City.
Liberty Medal Ceremony 2012
Former NBA basketball player Dikembe Mutombo speaks about boxing champion Muhammad Ali during the 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall on September 13, 2025 in Historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony recognized Muhammad Ali as a champion of freedom and a living embodiment of the Constitution who exemplifies everything the award was established to honor. Mutombo serves on the Board of Directors for the National Constitution Center.
London Olympics 2012
2012 US Embassy Event taken at the London Olympics
Andrew Young - Caring for Congo Gala
Dikembe Mutombo and Ambassador Andrew Young at the Caring for Congo gala.
Congressman John Lewis & Mayor Kasim Reed
Congressman John Lewis and City of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed at the Caring for Congo gala in Atlanta, GA.
Points of Light - Rose & Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe and Rose Mutombo attend the Points of Light celebration honoring the work of President George H.W. Bush in Washington, D.C.
Dadaab Refugee Camp 2011
Dikembe Mutombo and Mrs. Cindy McCain visit the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, the largest camp of its kind.
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Dikembe Mutombo and Mrs. Cindy McCain visit the Horn of Africa with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition where 12 million people are in need of food, water and basic sanitation.
Goodermote Humanitarian Award
Dikembe Mutombo receives the 2011 Goodermote Humanitarian Award at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
UNICEF - Port-au-Prince, Haiti 2011
Dikembe Mutombo and UNICEF, CEO Caryl Stern walk around in Port-au-Prince, Haiti one year after the devastating earthquake.
Kinshasa HIV/AIDS Fight Soccer Tournament 2011
Dikembe Mutombo co-hosted a youth soccer tournament in Kinshasa to raise awareness in the fight against HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and malaria. The soccer tournament included youths (ages 12-18) selected from each of the 24Kinshasa neighborhoods.
Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Philanthropy
Mutombo was awarded the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Philanthropy by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Mutombo is pictured with Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourney, Pres. & CEO of RWJF.
Miracles Corner of the World Award
B.C. Forbes Peopling of America Award for Sports
Dikembe Mutombo received the B.C. Forbes Peopling of America award for Sports from the Ellis Island Foundation.
