Retired NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo died on Monday, Sept. 30, after battling brain cancer. One of his former teams, the Atlanta Hawks, just announced that it would honor the life and legacy of the 58-year-old on Monday, Nov. 25.
The tribute will take place at the State Farm Arena when the Hawks play the Dallas Mavericks. The Hawks have also stated that a new court decal will be on the floor as a tribute to Mutombo. The game will also feature the debut of the team’s new uniforms.
Mutombo’s family released a written statement thanking the Hawks and various others.
“The Mutombo family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Tony Ressler, Jami Gertz, Grant Hill, Steve Koonin, and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization,” said the Mutombo family. “Your tribute to Dikembe’s incredible basketball career with the Hawks and his humanitarian work both in Atlanta and globally means the world to us. Dikembe had a special bond with the Hawks and his devoted fans. Thank you for making his time in Atlanta truly special and memorable. Dikembe once said, ‘Our legacy in life is about the race and this race is not finished, we just have to pass the torch’.”
Hawks players will also have on unique shooting shirts before the game, and there will be an added feature to the night that will celebrate his iconic move when he blocked the shots of opposing players during his career. His signature move after blocking an opponent’s shot was to wave his long index finger at them while saying, “No, no, no” to their faces. As a tribute, when a Hawks player blocks a shot during the game, “No, no, no” audio will play through the stadium speakers for the fans to celebrate the move.
During halftime, the jumbotron will display a video celebrating his impact on the sports world and his charitable efforts.
The 7-foot-2 center retired after the 2008-09 season. Mutombo was selected to the NBA All-Star Game eight times and was a three-time All-NBA pick. He averaged 9.8 points and pulled down 10.3 rebounds per game. He made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
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