ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks will feature several nods to the late great Dikembe Mutombo on Monday night as they host the Dallas Mavericks at State Farm Arena.
Among the tributes planned for Mutombo, who died in September at 58 years old, are a court decal logo, special pregame shooting shirts and, when the Hawks record a block throughout the game, his signature "No, no, no" catchphrase will be played in the arena.
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“While we are deeply saddened by the passing of Dikembe Mutombo, we are honored to use our Nov. 25th game as a platform to honor Dikembe,” said Steve Koonin, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, in a statement. “The Hawks family is committed to preserving his legacy and celebrating the impact he made both on and off the court, a true testament to his character and sportsmanship.”
The Mutombo family also issued a statement thanking Hawks owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz as well as team executives.
“Your tribute to Dikembe's incredible basketball career with the Hawks, and his humanitarian work both in Atlanta and globally, means the world to us," the statement said. "Dikembe had a special bond with the Hawks and his devoted fans. Thank you for making his time in Atlanta truly special and memorable. Dikembe once said, ‘Our legacy in life is about the race and this race is not finished, we just have to pass the torch’.”
There will also be a tribute video for Mutombo at halftime.
Monday night will also mark the debut of the Hawks' new City Edition uniforms.
More on Dikembe Mutombo
The 7-foot-2 center from the Democratic Republic of Congo was renowned for his defense and shot-blocking. He was a four-time defensive player of the year award winner, 8-time all-star and three times made the All-NBA team.
Mutombo was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
He played with the Hawks from 1996-2001, making the All-Star team four times and winning the DPOY award twice. His No. 55 jersey is retired by the team.
He was also remembered upon his death as "the NBA's first Global Ambassador" and a "humanitarian at his core."
Part of that profile beyond basketball included his efforts to support polio vaccination efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- efforts for which he was recognized with a humanitarian award by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2011.