Dikembe Mutombo Named NBA Global Ambassador

“I want to be remembered as someone who made a difference.” Dikembe Mutombo

Smart move on behalf of the NBA this week as Commissioner David Stern named Dikembe Mutombo the NBA’s Global Ambassador…the big guy recently retired after 18 seasons, and in efforts to hang-on to the best thing to happen to the NBA since I came along, the league created this position for Dikembe, essentially unleashing his unlimited potential.

Check out this beautiful promo of Dikembe opening his hospital from Unicef…seems criminal to me that its only been viewed about 1500 times on Youtube and not 150,000.

In his new role as Global Ambassador, Mutombo will work on numerous international events and programs, including Basketball without Borders: “Dikembe’s extraordinary accomplishments on the court and in the community demonstrate why he is one of sports’ outstanding humanitarians,” Stern said. “His commitment to using the values of our game to improve the lives of so many is an example of the special role we have in being leaders in social responsibility. We know the impact programs such as NBA Cares and Basketball without Borders have in being catalysts for change on a global scale, and Dikembe’s continued contributions will be invaluable in our global efforts to bring attention to important social issues.”

Additionally, Dikembe will work closely on NBA Cares outreach efforts with Hall of Famer Bob Lanier who serves as Special Assistant to the Commissioner. “I am looking forward to working closely with Dikembe as he enters this next phase of his brilliant career. I have seen first hand the impact and inspiration he provides,” said Lanier. “His passion for improving the lives of people in Africa and elsewhere is a great example of how NBA players understand their obligations to the global community.”

In case you’ve been out of the loop, Dikembe’s resume includes opening a hospital and research center in his native Democratic Republic of Congo; he received the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award, was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame…and is the only 2-time winner of the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award given for outstanding service and dedication to the community.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Dikembe Mutombo Joins World Hunger Relief Movement

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)

NBA legend and humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo has joined with the NBA and Taco Bell to help raise awareness and funds for the World Hunger Relief Movement…it’s a beautiful and simple movement…donate one dollar next time you’re at Taco Bell, it goes directly to the World Hunger Relief Movement and feeds four kids for a day…but I’ll let Dikembe explain it to you…

To learn more about the World Hunger Relief Movement and to donate to help fight hunger across the globe, visit http://fromhungertohope.com.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Mbah a Moute: From Africa to the NBA, Without Borders

“In Africa, we’re beginning to see new countries challenging the traditional powers like Angola — the Ivory Coast, Tunisia. I’ve said this before: Africa could be a continent as important to the development of players as Eastern and Western Europe combined.” David Stern, N.B.A. commissioner

Finally the NBA is getting IT. Some of the most gifted athletes in the world come from Africa. We need more of them. We need more humble athletes who don’t forget the struggles of everyday life. We need inspirational athletes for our kids to look up to, and we need more mighty-mighty-fine men who appreciate their stance in life…and now we’ve got one. His name is Mbah a Moute (pronounced BAH-ah-MOO-tay), and he hails from Cameroon.

His journey reads like a dream come true…he didn’t play basketball until he was 14 years old. By the time he was 16, the kid from Cameroon had been chosen to attend the inaugural Basketball without Borders event in Johannesburg…within two years he was the best youth player in his country, three weeks later, Mbah a Moute was on a plane heading to Florida to attend prep school at Montverde Academy…and now, the 6’8” rookie is playing hoops with the Milwaukee Bucks, “It all happened so fast, but it changed my life.”

Following the footsteps of other great NBA players, Mbah a Moute went back to Johannesburg last week for Basketball Without Borders, where he joined Dikembe Mutombo (above), Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Vladimir Radmanovic, and DJ Mbenga, among others.

As the first alumnus of the camp, Mbah a Moute is the ultimate rags-to-riches story, and a powerful inspiration for kids participating in the N.B.A.s Basketball Without Borders program. “Three weeks after this camp I left for the U.S. and started my dream,” he told the children, “That’s why I’m back here today to tell you this is a great experience, take advantage of it.”

But the Basketball Without Borders’ athletes do much more than just talk to the kids…along with Habitat for Humanity, they’ve built 9 homes since 2007…they’ve planted gardens, played soccer, learned traditional African dances, and they’ve spent endless hours interacting with students helping them learn the fundamentals of basketball as well as life…and as evidenced above by Dwight Howard, the hotties are doing it exceptionally well.

Basketball without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development program that uses the sport to create positive social change in the areas of education, health and wellness. The camps have been held in Beijing, China, Mexico City, Mexico and Johannesburg, South Africa…to read more, visit the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders site…they’ve got a daily run down, including photos from a visit to the Apartheid Museum, as well as feedback from some of the players including Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh after they finished planting a peach tree for a Home Based Care Facility in Soweto.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Dikembe Mutombo Opens New Centers at His Hospital

He once said he wanted to be remembered for his commitment to humanity…and throughout the years, Dikembe Mutombo has lived that commitment with ease born to men destined to do great things…

Yesterday, The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center (BMMH), in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) launched two Centers of Excellence at the state of the art medical facility founded by NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. The two centers, an Immune System Monitoring Laboratory and an Occupational Safety Center for Health Workers, will train more than 300 clinicians and improve monitoring and treatment of patients living with HIV/AIDS.

“The doctors and nurses at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital are saving lives every day and helping improve health care in the DRC which has been ravaged by more than a decade of war and disease,” said Mr. Mutombo at the opening ceremony. “These Centers of Excellence are an important milestone in improving the quality of life for those who live with HIV/AIDS and in training new health care workers to help prevent the spread of disease.”

Around half a million children under the age of five die every year in the DRC, mostly from preventable causes, such as diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition and measles. Over one million people in DRC are living with HIV/AIDS. Sexual violence of the most brutal form has been carried out against tens of thousands, over half of them children…compels me to say we NEED more Mutombo’s in this world, for the sake of the kids and for the sake of the DRC.

Mutombo was joined at the opening ceremonies by UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, BD Executive Vice President Gary Cohen, and the DRC Minister of Public Health, Mwami Mopipi Mukulumany.

“It is such an honor to be here today at the hospital founded in the memory of Dikembe’s mother,” said Ms.Veneman. “He is a true friend of UNICEF and his dedication for his home country is an inspiration to us all. Dikembe continues to give a voice to the voiceless people of Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

About the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation: The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is dedicated to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Foundation strives to accomplish this goal not only by providing comprehensive health care at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, but also through an emphasis on primary health care and disease prevention, the promotion of health policy, health research and increased access to health care education for the people of the Congo. www.dmf.org

About UNICEF: UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. www.unicef.org.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Dikembe Mutombo Honored Again As A Humanitarian

In a perfect world, my phone would ring, I’d answer it, and it would be Dikembe Mutombo calling to say it’s time to come work for him. But in an Ideal world, Dikembe would be cherished and awarded for his unprecedented humanitarian work…and on Friday, it happened…Dikembe Mutombo received the J. Walker Kennedy Citizenship Award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association. In and of itself, that’s quite an honor, but this is the SECOND time he’s won the award, and the first player in History to do so. (Sorry Steve Nash, he beat ya to it)

“That Dikembe Mutombo would be the first player to repeat as a J. Walter Kennedy award winner speaks as highly of the honor as it does of him,” PBWA president Doug Smith said. “No player has given more freely of his time, his money and himself, on a consistent basis than Mutombo through the years. His and his foundation’s continuing efforts in building, maintaining and improving the hospital in Kinshasa are widely known and set a standard for NBA players, and frankly, athletes across all sports. The PBWA is delighted to present him — again — with this award.”

What more can I say about a man who’s been awarded the Presidents Service Award in 1999, inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 2007, acknowledged by former President George W. Bush in his 2007 State of the Union Address for his work in support of African causes and continued to inspire an entire team while putting up numbers on the court?

I know I’d sound like a broken record if I went off about his decade long quest to raise $29M for the building of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in Kinshasa…or how he personally kicked in close to $19M of his own money to make it a reality…or how he has promised to never give up his work to raise money for its operating costs…but I can’t help it. In a world where ‘hate’ sells, I will forever be grateful to Dikembe for his love towards humanity…for his unwavering responsibility of being a role model among professional athletes gone crazy and using his influence to do good deeds.

“The Congo lost more than 300,000 children last year alone from malaria,” Mutombo said. “The treatment will cost no more than $10. If we can come up with $2 million for treatment, with 100,000 people donating $20, there is a chance for us to really eradicate malaria in that particular area. …I know it is going to be difficult to stop people from dying, because death is part of our lives,” he said. “But to prevent as many deaths as possible, it is up to us to do so. This is something I will do the rest of my life.”

Although it looks as if Dikembe’s on-court career is over due to a torn tendon, the upside is that I suspect that we’ll see much more of him now that he’s not playing. “My prayer is that as many people as we have in Houston, maybe 100,000 will respond to my call to donate $20 or more,” Mutombo told the Houston Chronicle in March. “After that, I’m planning to go after every city that I played for.” The eight-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has played in Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston.

Thank you Dikembe Mutombo. Thank you for all the finger wagging, basket slamming, ball flying on-court action. But more importantly, thank you for caring on a global scale. We have been blessed by your presence and infected with your passion…thank you for not forgetting those in the Congo…thank you for making us aware…thank you for being you. You, my friend, are a necessity that I, for one, could not live without. I will be waiting patiently by the phone…

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Dikembe Mutombo: A Humanitarian for Life

“This is something I will do the rest of my life. No matter what I go do, whether it is working for the league or business for myself, doing humanitarian work, I don’t think there will be anybody who can stop me.”

After 18 seasons in NBA, Dikembe Mutombo is just a few weeks away from retirement.  “I don’t want to leave this game and have something haunt me, like I complained about playing or my minutes. I just want to be happy. One thing I’m very happy with is the transformation that has happened inside our locker room,” said the Rockets center, “The joy, the peace, the smiling on the guys’ faces are very rewarding to see. That is what made me happy, like I accomplished something.”

Accomplished something? While Dikembe is speaking about what he accomplished with the Rockets, my mind drifts elsewhere. It drifts all the way back to the early 80’s. When Bono and the boys were going Into The Heart of a child alongside Bob Geldof who was busy Feeding the World and Elvis Costello was asking us What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding.

‘We’ve been waiting all year, for you…for you…into the heart of a child, I stay a while…into the heart of a child I can smile, I can see my way. Into the heart of a child, I can go back, I can stay a while…into the heart, to the heart of a child…’ U2’s ‘Into the Heart’ lyrics seem to reflect something that Dikembe can relate to.

After all, he’s spent the last decade raising funds for the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital & Research center in Kinshasa (Dem Rep of Congo). Even though the mighty-mighty-fine man has already donated $19M of his own cash, he still needs more, and so he presses on. And he is asking all of us for a little help.

“The latest campaign is to try to go after the grass roots,” Mutombo said. “We can get at least the American people to participate in the treatment of women and children at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital by donating $20 or more a year. The goal is to get 100,000 people to sign up with our Web site (www.DMF.org) or call 1-877-funddmf. We want to get 100,000 people to respond by the end of June.”

Now I’m no stranger to the slumping economy, but I do know most of us wouldn’t miss $20 a year? To save lives? This isnt just a plea, but a movement. And Dikembe is about to go nationwide with it. “I’m going to go nationwide. My prayer is that as many people as we have in Houston, maybe 100,000 will respond to my call to donate $20 or more. After that, I’m planning to go after every city that I played for (Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York) and see how many people will sign up to the Web site or pick up the phone. This is to run the hospital for medicine and treatment and paying the staff, the doctors and nurses.”

“People would understand and know this is a good cause,” he said. “This is not a cause that Dikembe is calling on us to donate money so he can buy more equipment or more beds. This is now something we already accomplished. The beds are there. The equipment is there. You just want us to buy medicine and buy Tylenol and buy IVs and all that. Malaria is killing more than 1.3 million children alone in the African continent. The Congo lost more than 300,000 children last year alone from malaria. The treatment will cost no more than $10. If we can come up with $2 million for treatment, with 100,000 people donating $20, there is a chance for us to really eradicate malaria in that particular area.”

Think about that people. Together, we CAN eradicate malaria in the Congo. I don’t know about anyone else, but even with an overdue cable bill, I’m still sending 20 bucks. The life of a child shouldn’t be cut short because someone opted to buy a bottle of wine instead of saving a life…but hey, that’s just me.

“Our goal is to prevent as many deaths as we can,“ Dikembe continued, “I know it is going to be difficult to stop people from dying, because death is part of our lives. But to prevent as many deaths as possible, it is up to us to do so.”

It is indeed Dikembe, and this girl’s got your back every step of the way.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Yao Ming Foundation Cut Out of the Loop by the NBA

The Yao Ming Foundation has been cut out of the charity loop and is no longer one of the beneficiaries of next week’s Tux & Tennies Charity Gala. Apparently, there are some new “NBA Guidelines” is place to prevent salary-cap circumvention…now, I’m not going to pretend that I’m well versed on all these ‘rules’ but apparently, because Yao can opt out of his contract with the Rockets after the 2009-10 season, the ‘league’ office said donations to his foundation could be interpreted as influencing negotiations. “I know, it’s all about 2010,” Yao said. “They have rules. All we want to do is help people who were hurt by the earthquake in the Sichuan Province.”

The NBA is also claiming that after the Rockets named Yao’s Foundation as a beneficiary, commissioner David Stern’s office received complaints from several other NBA teams…if I were to guess…my money would be on the Cav’s and the Lakers as the cry babies who messed it up for Yao. “We appreciate the league’s position and will work with them and will certainly abide by their wishes and work according to their direction on how we can make the event as successful as possible while supporting Yao to the best that we can,” said Tad Brown, Rockets chief executive officer.

This is straight-up BS if you ask me. Even though the proceeds from the event still go to charity, the Rockets have one of the hottest rosters in the NBA-in terms of charitable work. Between Dikembe Mutombo, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Yao, and yes, even Ron Artest, they’ve got some mighty-mighty fine men shooting hoops, helping kids, and bettering humanity.

Since 1996, the Tux & Tennies Gala has raised nearly $5 million. Last year and in 2006, proceeds benefited the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds being used to help build the Women & Children’s Center of the Biamba Maria Mutombo Hospital. The NBA takes issues because Deke twice signed free-agent contracts to return to the Rockets during that period. GOOD. That’s how it should be. Wouldn’t it be great to see the NBA encouraging free-agent signing by greasing players-foundations with hefty donations? Or would you prefer to see players driving around in $100,000 vehicles purchased with bonus money or bribe money or whatever you want to call it?

I’d like to see players hold out from signing unless there is a guaranteed yearly donation to the players foundation or charity of choice. But hey, that’s just me…

Proceeds from the event this year will go to the ‘Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund’ and to various organizations providing humanitarian relief to earthquake victims in China…

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Catching Up with Dikembe Mutombo

Don’t get excited-when I write ‘catching up with Mutombo’ I don’t mean I was blessed to meet the big guy-trust me, when I get an interview with him you’ll be the first to know…for now, we’ll have to settle for a great piece from SI.com. (The photo is from Vanity Fair 2007)

Our finger wagging baller has been a very busy humanitarian-as I’ve said before, Deke is a humanitarian first and baller second…and once again, his efforts trump most. His Mutombo basketball kicks by Peak will be released soon-they include his No. 55 and a logo of his finger wagging back and forth. “By the time I retire, I want to see if I can have a shoe that can be sold in Africa that will allow every African child to have the shoes at the low cost of $15 to $20. So every parent can afford to put the shoes on the feet of their kids” he said. Dare I say ‘Yes You Can’? And with much better success than we’ve seen from other-ballers-and-their-low-cost-shoes-sold-at-places-that-go-out-of-business-and-you-don’t-back-it-up with-actions-anyway…but who am I to knock someone for trying…

Deke’s Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital has been open for just over a year. “We have celebrated the first year of the opening Dec. 7,” he says, “We celebrate the first year when the world is crashing. Economically the world is crashing, spiritually the world is crashing. There is war all over the places right now, in Africa, in the Middle East, in Southeast Asia. We have to stay strong, to continue to do God’s work. Otherwise all of these people will perish.” An American consulting firm has told Mutombo that the hospital may become self-sustaining within another three years. This year, he says, the hospital is in need of $2 million to remain open. “If 100,000 people will each donate $20 to the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, we will have $2 million to give treatment to women and children and the oldest people who are dying every day from malaria. There is a child dying in Africa every 35 seconds. Last year alone more than 2.5 million children died in Africa because of malaria. It costs maybe $10 to treat each person. So imagine when somebody is donating $20, he is already saving the life of a child at the hospital.”

This is really a simple request from Deke…just 20 bucks. Yeah, the economy sucks. Yeah twenty bucks is a lot of money to some people. But maybe next time you fork over $4.20 for a ‘no-whip grande cap with extra bullshit’ you’ll think about the fact the your spare change can save a life…if not, then your on the wrong blog.

**Event Notice**
This Sunday at the Saddle Ranch Chophouse on Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles), LA’s hottest women are going to ride the mechanical bull for charity. Yes I will be there-and no-while I am the queen of (a-hem) bull rider, I will not be riding the bull…I will be interviewing the celebrities in attendance and taking lots of photos…Babes on the Bull…hope to see you kids there.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Dikembe Mutombo Party With A Purpose

Party with a purpose…indeed. Dikembe Mutombo is hosting a big pre-inauguration bash in DC next week, January 19, to benefit his Foundation. The party starts at 6PM at Eyebar located at 1716 I St NW. The event will feature 250 of DC’s Most Socially-Conscious Young Professionals-including Dave Chappelle, live DJ, and complimentary open bar from 6-7pm. But tickets here…DMF PARTY and to all the sponsors breaking down my door-yes, I would love to go!

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Tracy McGrady’s Journey

Dikembe Mutombo is the Bono of the NBA. His infectious humanitarian spirit has rubbed off on some of the greatest, including Houston Rocket teammate Tracy McGrady. The Mutombo effect. That’s what I call it. If it werent for this 7’2” beast we may not have as many ballers lining up to support the need for aid in Africa. McGrady was influenced by Dikembe to travel to Africa, but wasn’t entirely hip on the situation there. “I had no clue what genocide was, and I’m still learning about it,” he said while visiting refugee camps in eastern Chad. “I really don’t know what I am going to see.”

What he did see has been chronicled in the new documentary “3 Points.” Last year, T-Mac had a first hand look at three African refugee camps. Working alongside documentary filmmaker and photographer Josh Rothstein and humanitarian John Prendergast of the Enough Project, the films just been completed and is looking for distribution. A great article in the LA Times today explains T-Macs reaction to the trip, what he plans to do next, and how he plans on rolling out the T-Mac effect among players willing to kick in $75k to build new schools. “Some of the players need to be educated,” McGrady says. “But some of them are caring guys, know that something has to be done and are willing to help.” The NBA will be airing “3 Points” to its players and hopefully the films three points will be drilled home: Three strategies to fight genocide: Peace, Protection and Punishment. So far, T-Mac has enlisted his Florida high school as a sister school to a new school in Chad, and gotten donations from Derek Fisher and Jermaine O’Neal. Indeed Tracy McGrady is a mighty-mighty-fine man.

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As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com