Times are tough for the Georgetown Hoyas basketball program. They’re currently “in the midst of an exciting time of rebuilding” under new head coach Patrick Ewing, who is also one of the iconic big men in the program’s history. Also on that list is Dikembe Mutombo, and perhaps soon enough his adopted son will join that list as well.
The 7-foot-2 Mutombo has become an ambassador for the sport of basketball since his finger-wagging NBA days ended and we mean that literally. The Hall of Famer, who originally hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is currently in Johannesburg, South Africa as part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Camp in Africa, serving as a familiar face to help grow the sport and connect it further with the continent.
But being present at basketball games and shaking hands isn’t the extent of Mutombo’s involvement. In speaking with The Undefeated, he talks about how involved he is with the youth he comes into contact with, including one he took such an interest in that he adopted the young man.
…I adopted one of the kids last year. He is from Congo and he is 7-7. He is 17 years old. He was in the [2016] camp and he was doing so well, but not doing as well as he should be. I looked at myself and said, ‘I used to be like that.’ I wanted to give this kid a chance because so many people gave me a chance, too. So, I put him on a plane and I took him to the U.S. We put him in a school, we’re feeding him. We’re giving him everything and he is going to a private school in Maryland. I am so proud of him. Hopefully, next year he will go to Georgetown.
He reminds me of when I was young. I was real, real shy. When I used to go to the market in the Congo, people would be running away. They were calling me a ‘ghost.’ I was bullied a lot when I was young in school and in the streets. And now when I go back they cheer for me like I was president. These are the same people who used to boo me.
In fact, Mutombo has six children, four of whom are adopted. So the fact that he took the chance to help this kid improve his life and chance of opportunities isn’t surprising.
It’s unclear if Mutombo’s adopted son will be offered a scholarship or if he’s walking on for the Hoyas, but the idea of a Ewing and a Mutombo together at the same time must have Georgetown fans feeling nostalgic for those better times.
