Dikembe Mutombo to Have Number 55 Retired by Atlanta Hawks

Dikembe Mutombo was one of the best defensive players to ever play the game of basketball.  Mount Mutombo struck fear in the eyes of opposing players trying to score in the paint, as Dikembe was arguably the best shot blocker of his generation.

According to the Atlanta Hawks official Twitter account, the organization plans to retire the number 55 jersey belonging to Dikembe Mutombo in a special ceremony before the Hawks take on the Boston Celtics on November 24th.

2015 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and 3x NBA Defensive Player of the Year with the Atlanta Hawks will be the fourth player in franchise history to have his jersey retired joining Lou Hudson, Bob Pettit, and Dominique Wilkins.

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Deke spent 5 of his 18 NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, making 4 All-Star games and 2 All-NBA teams in his tenure with the Hawks.  Mt. Mutombo also won three NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards while playing for the Atlanta Hawks (1996,97, 1997-98, 2000-01).  Mutombo ended his illustrious playing career in 2009 with the New York Knicks, accumulating 11,729 career points, 12,359 career rebounds, and an astonishing 3,289 career blocks.

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While Dikembe Mutombo is affectionately known in Atlanta for his patented finger wag when he blocked an opponent’s shot attempt, we all should remember Deke for his tremendous off the court work as one of the greatest humanitarians to ever play professional sports.

The former Georgetown Hoya helped build hospitals in his native country of the Democratic Republic of Congo and continues on as a great ambassador for the game of basketball.  The amount of infrastructure Mutombo financed in his home country is staggering, showing that while he is a Hall of Fame player, he’s arguably the Roberto Clemente of the NBA with his philanthropic efforts.

Mutombo stills makes his home in the Atlanta area and continues to impact the world positively through the reach of the game of basketball.  I’m so happy for Dikembe Mutombo and his family to receive the highest honor the Atlanta Hawks organization can give him.

via GIPHY

It took way to long for the Hawks to retire Deke’s jersey.  Expect November 24th’s home game against the Celtics to sell out as quickly as Philips Arena did with the revealing of the Dominique Wilkins statue.  I would assume that the Denver Nuggets will also likely retire Mutombo’s number 55 as he spent his first five seasons playing in the Mile High City.

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Nuggets fans still talk about that 1994 team that toppled the Top-Seeded Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs down 0-2 in a best of five series.  Dikembe Mutombo was their best player on the team responsible for one of the greatest upsets in NBA history.

Congratulations, Deke!  Thank you for all the hard work you do for the game of basketball both on and off the court.  The Highlight Factory can’t wait to wag the finger with you when your number 55 is finally hanging from the rafters at Philips Arena.  It’s a great day for the Atlanta Hawks to announce the celebration date of a historic basketball career like Dikembe Mutombo’s.

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