5 hours ago
We were driving through the backwoods of Maine early last Monday a.m. when the text from our best friend came through to let us know that Dikembe had passed away. We've been praying for him for 2 years now.
The Mutombos joined our church 30 years ago and its interesting because we are a VERY conservative congregation in the heart of East Cobb, Eastside Baptist Church, and Dikembe's politics are VERY liberal, but he had a pure heart as big as the world. He loved everyone. They always arrived late but did not want to be a distraction, so they sat in the back and Dikembe always said he did not want his body to block the view of anyone. He was the antithesis of the bad boy image of so many NBA players. We would see him at church mostly just in late spring and summers due to his role as (first ever) NBA global ambassador as well as his other charitable endeavors.
I always called him 'Big Guy"..."Hey Big Guy, good to see you!" and he would always reply in that gravely voice, "Ha-lo" smile and shake hands...and his handshake would just swallow yours up! He never wanted his celebrity to be a factor in church, he was just there to worship and hear the sermon like everyone else...
The whole family always came in at the same time. Dikembe's father, a school teacher and principal in the Congo, had become almost blind in his old age and Dikembe always held his hand from the car, up the steps, and guided him gently into the pew. His wife, Rose, is as sweet a person as you'll ever meet.
Most people don't know how smart Dikembe was, the son of teachers, he spoke 9 languages. Most also don't know that he came to America on a scholarship to Georgetown to study medicine so he could go back to his home in the Congo and help others. He told us once that when he came here his only shoes were flip flops because he could not find shoes to fit. Then John Thompson talked him into trying out for basketball and the rest is history. He saw basketball as a means to an end, to have the resources to help the people of the Congo and other nations. Basketball took up so much of his time that he changed his major to linguistics and diplomacy and that combo served him well for the rest of his life.
He started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in '97 and through that built and staffed a hospital in the Congo as well as schools and other things.
You can go online and see pictures of Dikembe with presidents, kings, queens, prime ministers and other world leaders, yet there was no conceit in him...he treated everyone the same. He loved everyone and just wanted his life story to be that he helped as many as he could. He was the best example of someone who wanted to be the hands and feet of Christ that I've ever known. Of course, he had more resources than most for that...
One of the last conversations i had with him after church 2 years ago, I said, "hey Big Guy, I see that they're running your GEICO commercials again and he smiled, wagged his finger and said, "No, no, no!" then put his hand over his mouth and practically giggled. Later that year came his brain tumor diagnosis.
His funeral is 11a.m Saturday at the church. Sunday the pastor said that there will be many "dignitaries" in attendance including one or more presidents (we don't know who yet) and that Rose very much wants her church family to be there.
I will miss my church buddy the "Big Guy." God rest his soul.
The Mutombos joined our church 30 years ago and its interesting because we are a VERY conservative congregation in the heart of East Cobb, Eastside Baptist Church, and Dikembe's politics are VERY liberal, but he had a pure heart as big as the world. He loved everyone. They always arrived late but did not want to be a distraction, so they sat in the back and Dikembe always said he did not want his body to block the view of anyone. He was the antithesis of the bad boy image of so many NBA players. We would see him at church mostly just in late spring and summers due to his role as (first ever) NBA global ambassador as well as his other charitable endeavors.
I always called him 'Big Guy"..."Hey Big Guy, good to see you!" and he would always reply in that gravely voice, "Ha-lo" smile and shake hands...and his handshake would just swallow yours up! He never wanted his celebrity to be a factor in church, he was just there to worship and hear the sermon like everyone else...
The whole family always came in at the same time. Dikembe's father, a school teacher and principal in the Congo, had become almost blind in his old age and Dikembe always held his hand from the car, up the steps, and guided him gently into the pew. His wife, Rose, is as sweet a person as you'll ever meet.
Most people don't know how smart Dikembe was, the son of teachers, he spoke 9 languages. Most also don't know that he came to America on a scholarship to Georgetown to study medicine so he could go back to his home in the Congo and help others. He told us once that when he came here his only shoes were flip flops because he could not find shoes to fit. Then John Thompson talked him into trying out for basketball and the rest is history. He saw basketball as a means to an end, to have the resources to help the people of the Congo and other nations. Basketball took up so much of his time that he changed his major to linguistics and diplomacy and that combo served him well for the rest of his life.
He started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in '97 and through that built and staffed a hospital in the Congo as well as schools and other things.
You can go online and see pictures of Dikembe with presidents, kings, queens, prime ministers and other world leaders, yet there was no conceit in him...he treated everyone the same. He loved everyone and just wanted his life story to be that he helped as many as he could. He was the best example of someone who wanted to be the hands and feet of Christ that I've ever known. Of course, he had more resources than most for that...
One of the last conversations i had with him after church 2 years ago, I said, "hey Big Guy, I see that they're running your GEICO commercials again and he smiled, wagged his finger and said, "No, no, no!" then put his hand over his mouth and practically giggled. Later that year came his brain tumor diagnosis.
His funeral is 11a.m Saturday at the church. Sunday the pastor said that there will be many "dignitaries" in attendance including one or more presidents (we don't know who yet) and that Rose very much wants her church family to be there.
I will miss my church buddy the "Big Guy." God rest his soul.
