Atlanta Hawks to honor Dikembe Mutombo’s legacy

The Atlanta Hawks are taking things to extremes in one more tribute tonight in the celebration of Dikembe Mutombo: they’re adding the silhouette of Mutombo doing his signature finger wag to the sidelines at State Farm Arena for the game tonight against the Dallas Mavericks via a new court decal. That falls into a special floor matching Atlanta’s blue and white City Edition uniforms.

Shooting shirts worn by the team will have Mutombo’s finger wag, and every time a Hawks’ player notches a block, the sound of the center’s “No, No, No” will echo in every corner of the arena. “The Mutombo family wishes to extend a heartfelt thanks to Tony Ressler, Jami Gertz, Grant Hill, Steve Koonin and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization,” the statement released by the Mutombo family read. “This tribute to Dikembe’s incredible basketball career with the Hawks, and his humanitarian work inside Atlanta and all around the world, means everything to us. Dikembe had a very special rapport with the Hawks and his dedicated fans.”

 

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The halftime tribute will be a video honoring the “profound impact both on and off the court throughout his illustrious career” of Mutombo, who will also participate in special recognition with the Mutombo family during the event.

Dikembe Mutombo died of brain cancer aged 58 in September, playing in 343 games with the club for seven years from 1996 to 2001. He came to the 76ers through trade with the Denver Nuggets during the 2000-01 season.

He is the leader in the team with blocks per game and third overall in total blocks. His 3,289 career blocks rank second all-time in NBA history. The Atlanta Hawks retired his No. 55 jersey in 2015. “I don’t think I ever thought my jersey would be retired,” Mutombo said at the time. “My name will stay forever.”

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