NBA Africa have established a new humanitarian award in honour of four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Dikembe Mutombo.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the NBA Africa Dikembe Mutombo Humanitarian Award will recognize a person or an organization that works to advance health, education or economic opportunity across the continent of Africa.
"Dikembe devoted his life to helping others and brought joy to so many people across Africa and around the world. This new award and the basketball courts built in his name will honor Dikembe's extraordinary legacy as a global humanitarian," Silver said.
The award will be presented annually beginning at next year's NBA Africa All-Star luncheon.
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Recipients will receive a financial grant to further their humanitarian efforts and a donation from NBA Africa to a charity of their choice.
Furthermore, NBA Africa will donate 55 courts to local communities on the continent in honor Mutombo's iconic jersey number, beginning in his native Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo where he first discovered his love for the game.
The courts, which will feature a distinct design inspired by Mutombo, will contribute to NBA Africa's commitment of building 1,000 courts on the continent within the next decade.
Silver made the announcement at the 10th annual NBA Africa All-Star Luncheon in San Francisco, California, as part of the NBA All-Star 2025.
True son of Africa
Selected fourth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo spent 18 years in the NBA during which time he was an eight-time NBA All-Star and four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
His 18-year playing career included stints at Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.
He thrice led the league in blocked shots and became the second-leading shot blocker in NBA history.
Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Upon his retirement from the league, he became NBA's first global ambassador.
He was one of the pioneers of the Basketball Without Borders programme through which he worked with other former players to improve infrastructure around the continent and inspire young talents.
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Outside of the court, Mutombo touched lives through his charity activities via his Dikembe Mutombo Foundation.
Most notably, he built a general hospital in Kinshasa and named it after his late mother -- the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital.
He was a recipient of many awards, including the Congressional Humanitarian Award (2013), John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Goodermote Humanitarian Award (2011), Laureus World Sports Award (2010), John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award (2010) and the U.S. President's Service Award (2000).
'Mount Mutombo', as he was affectionately known, passed away in September last year after a long battle with brain cancer.
He was aged 58.
