Dikembe Mutombo's rise from inauspicious beginnings to the Hall of Fame is one of the truly great basketball stories. Now, the NBA legend is paying it forward, with a chance to nurture the next true giant of Africa.
Mutombo revealed that he adopted a 17-year-old from Congo this past year - and the boy apparently stands a whopping 7-foot-7, he told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year explained how the two came together:
He was in the (2016 Basketball Without Borders) 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.
If you're a tall youngster with big-league aspirations, you could do a lot worse than being the adopted son of one of the most dominant defensive players in NBA history. At the very least, if Mutombo's young charge can expand and refine his game stateside, he will be a virtual lock to receive some college interest.
After all: You can't teach height.
