Dikembe Mutombo, a celebrated Congolese-American retired professional basketball player, boasts an impressive net worth of approximately $75 million as of 2024. Known for his exceptional shot-blocking and defensive prowess, Mutombo’s wealth stems primarily from his extensive NBA career, brand endorsements, and philanthropic efforts.
Dikembe Mutombo is a Congolese-American retired professional basketball player. His full name is Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo. He is well known for his NBA career and humanitarian work. Mutombo was born on June 25 1996 in Kinshasa, Congo Kinshasa. Mutombo played as a center in 18 seasons of the NBA and was appraised as one of the best-shot blockers and defensive players. Mutombo has won four NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards, two Big East Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and eight NBA All-Stars. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enlisted him as well. Mutombo started playing basketball in 1991 and announced his retirement in 2009.
Dikembe Mutombo’s net worth is around $75 million as of 2024.
Dikembe Mutombo Early Life
Dikembe Mutombo was born on June 25, 1996, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is one of his parents’ ten children, Samuel and Biamba Marie Mutombo. Mutombo’s father served as a school principal and later worked in Congo’s Department of Education. Dikembe Mutombo belongs to the Luba ethnic group. He received his high school education from “Boboto College” in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Mutombo began preparing for his medical career at “Boboto College, ” playing football and participating in martial arts. At 16, Mutombo decided to focus on his basketball career as per his father and brother’s advice. When he was 21, Mutombo moved to the United States in 1987.
Mutombo went to Georgetown University in the neighborhood of Washington, DC, on a USAID scholarship program. He wanted to become a doctor. But, the basketball coach of the “Georgetown Hoyas,” John Thompson, enrolled him in the basketball team. After moving to Georgetown, he couldn’t speak English, but he learned it from the ESL program. Mutombo blocked 12 shots in a game he played in his sophomore year of college basketball. He received the title of “Big East Defensive Player of the Year” twice in 1990 and 1991.
Apart from playing basketball, Mutombo did a summer internship in the Congress of the United States and served at the World Bank. Dikembe Mutombo graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and diplomacy in 1991.
Dikembe Mutombo Career
The Denver Nuggets team of the NBA drafted Mutombo in 1991, and his shot-blocking made an instant impression across the league. In 1992, Dikembe Mutombo generated his counter move to earn more profit and product endorsement deals. After blocking an opponent player’s shot, Mutombo pointed his index finger at him and moved it crosswise. It was the same year that he appeared in an Adidas advertisement. They used the slogan “Man does not fly … in the house of Mutombo,” referring to his creative shot-blocking.
Concerning his rookie nature, the All-Star team selected Mutombo, and he averaged 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and three block shots in each game. Dikembe Mutombo started building himself as one of the best defensive players by increasing his block numbers and rebounds. The Denver Nuggets improved their performance with the help of Mutombo as a cornerstone in the 1993-1994 season. He averaged 12.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game. The Nuggets qualified as the eighth seed in the playoffs with the help of Mutombo. They played against Seattle Supersonics and seeded the match with a score of 63-19 in the first round. Mutombo received the “NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award” and was selected for his second All-Star game. In his last season with the Denver Nuggets, Mutombo scored 11.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game.
Mutombo grew into a free agent by the end of the 1995-1996 season.
After the conclusion of the 1995-1996 season, Dikembe Mutombo signed a free-agent deal with the “Atlanta Hawks” worth $55 million. Mutombo and Hawk’s All-Star Steve Smith led the Atlanta Hawks to win more than 50 games consecutively in seasons 1996-1997 and 1997-1998. He also received the IBM Award of the NBA in the 1998-1999 season. Mutombo scored 11.5 points, a career-high 14.1 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks in every game of the 1999-2000 season. Hawks won against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Mutombo scored 27 points, a league-high 29 rebounds, and 6 blocks on December 14, 1999.
In February 2001, the Atlanta Hawks exchanged Mutombo and Roshown McLeod with Pepe Sanchez, Toni Kukoc, Nazr Mohammed, and Theo Ratliff to the Eastern Conference-leading “Philadelphia 76ers.” This season, he played as a pro and received his fourth “Defensive Player of the Year” Award. The 76ers won against the” Indiana Pacers” in 4 games, the “Toronto Raptors” in 7 games, and the “Milwaukee Bucks” in 7 games in the championship of 2001. In his game with the Bucks, Mutombo scored 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a game. He also helped the “Sixers” to make it to the NBA finals. Mutombo re-signed his contract with the “Philadelphia 76ers” after a four-year season worth $68 million.
In 2002, the New Jersey Nets exchanged Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch for Mutombo. He played 24 games but did not play in the finals due to his injury. After a quarrelsome season in New Jersey, the Nets revoked Mutombo’s contract for the remaining two years.
Dikembe Mutombo signed a two-year contract with the “New York Knicks” in October 2003. Mutombo played dominantly against the “New Jersey Nets” by blocking ten shots. Later, in August 2004, the New York Knicks exchanged Mutombo, Cezary Tribanski, Othella Harrington, and Frank Williams for Jerome Williams and Jamal Crawford.
Before the 2004-2005 season, The “Bulls” exchanged Mutombo for Mike Wilks, Eric Piatkowski, and Adrian Griffin of the “Houston Rockets.” Mutombo and Yao Ming are known as one of the most productive combos in the NBA. On March 2, 2007, Mutombo became the oldest player in the history of the NBA. He won against the “Denver Nuggets” by scoring more than 20 rebounds. In the 2007-2008 season, Mutombo helped the “Houston Rockets” win 12 more games to complete their 22-game winning streak.
On January 10, 2008, Mutombo scored 5 block shots and beat Kareem Abdul Jabbar in his match against the “Los Angeles Lakers.” In the 2008-2009 season, Mutombo served as a reminder for the “Houston Rockets.” He revealed that the 2009 season is his farewell season. Mutombo announced his retirement on April 23, 2009, after playing in 18 seasons of the NBA. The net worth of Dikembe Mutombo reflects his successful career and earnings throughout his tenure in professional basketball.
Net Worth of Dikembe Mutombo
As of 2024, the net worth of Dikembe Mutombo is estimated to be approximately $75 million.
Dikembe Mutombo Annual Income
Dikembe Mutombo made $2 million from the Denver Nuggets team until 1993 when his salary rose to $3 million. From 1996 onwards, he earned $8 and $9 million annually, and his salary was boosted to $14 million in 2000. Mutombo made $16 million during the 2002-2003 season. Dikembe Mutombo has earned around $140 million throughout his NBA career.
Dikembe Mutombo Income Source
If we look at his source of income, we can see that Dikembe Mutombo has earned most of his wealth from his basketball career. Additionally, he has also been earning through other sources like brand endorsement deals, appearing in national advertisements, and his coffee shop.
Dikembe Mutombo Aid Working
Apart from playing basketball, Mutombo is highly appreciated for his work in philanthropy. He established the “Dikembe Mutombo Foundation” in 1997 to improve the standard of living in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2001 and 2009, Mutombo received NBA’s “J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship” Award for his outstanding services and dedication to the community. Later in 2004, he participated in an NBA program called “Basketball Without Borders” to improve the infrastructure in Africa.
Mutombo is a strong supporter of the “Special Olympics” and is serving as a member of the “Special Olympics International Board of Directors” along with being the “Global Ambassador.” President George W. Bush invited Mutombo to his “2007 State of the Union Address” and named him “Son of the Congo.”
On April 13, 2011, Mutombo received the “Goodermote Humanitarian” Award from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for his efforts in reducing polio worldwide. He also founded a modern pre-k through 6th-grade school named after his deceased father, the “Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship.”
His major philanthropic project is Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa. It was the first hospital founded in 2007, with a $29 million cost and a 300-bed facility built in almost 40 years. Mutombo named it after his mother, who died of a stroke.
Summary
Dikembe Mutombo is a former Congolese-American basketball player who is celebrated for his NBA career and humanitarian work. The net worth of Dikembe Mutombo is estimated to be $75 million, primarily accumulated from his successful 18-season NBA career. Beyond basketball, Mutombo has also earned through brand endorsements, advertisement deals, and his coffee shop. His major philanthropic endeavors include founding the “Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship” and the “Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital.” Mutombo currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
