Houston’s Dikembe Mutombo Named Winner Of 2008-09 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
Mutombo, in his 18th NBA season, becomes the first two-time winner of the award since it was first presented in 1975. The Rockets’ 7’2” center was cited in 2000-01 for his charitable works while playing with the Philadelphia 76ers – which mirrors his timeline in striving for the past decade to establish and fund the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in his native Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mutombo solicited contributions for the $29 million, 300-bed facility and personally donated approximately $19 million. The staggering costs of continuing to provide care to women and children in that region and to acquire medical equipment and supplies has kept his Dikembe Mutombo Foundation busy and focused, with a goal of reaching 100,000 grass-roots donors ($20 or more a year) by the end of June 2009. Those interested in the project or in donating can sign up through the Web site (www.DMF.org) or call 1-877-funddmf.
“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 split his career with teams in Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston.
One avowed goal of Mutombo’s hospital project is to fight malaria, which he said killed more than 300,000 children last year. “The treatment will cost no more than $10,” Mutombo said. “If we can come up with $2 million in treatment…there is a chance for us to really eradicate malaria in that particular area.”
“This is something I will do for 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.”
“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,” said Doug Smith, president of the PBWA. “No player has given more freely 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.”
The PBWA represents approximately 150 writers for newspapers, magazines and Internet services who cover the NBA on a regular basis. Members nominate players and vote for the award. The five finalists this season were Mutombo, Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs, Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls, Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
Following is a list of the all-time recipients of the NBA J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award:
ALL-TIME NBA J. WALTER KENNEDY CITIZENSHIP AWARD WINNERS
Season Winner, Team
1974-75 Wes Unseld, Washington
1975-76 Slick Watts, Seattle
1976-77 Dave Bing, Washington
1977-78 Bob Lanier, Detroit
1978-79 Calvin Murphy, Houston
1979-80 Austin Carr, Cleveland
1980-81 Mike Glenn, New York
1981-82 Kent Benson, Detroit
1982-83 Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1983-84 Frank Layden, Utah
1984-85 Dan Issel, Denver
1985-86 Michael Cooper, LA Lakers
Rory Sparrow, New York
1986-87 Isiah Thomas, Detroit
1987-88 Alex English, Denver
1988-89 Thurl Bailey, Utah
1989-90 Doc Rivers, Atlanta
1990-91 Kevin Johnson, Phoenix
1991-92 Magic Johnson, LA Lakers
1992-93 Terry Porter, Portland
1993-94 Joe Dumars, Detroit
1994-95 Joe O’Toole, Atlanta
1995-96 Chris Dudley, Portland
1996-97 P.J. Brown, Miami
1997-98 Steve Smith, Atlanta
1998-99 Brian Grant, Portland
1999-00 Vlade Divac, Sacramento
2000-01 Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia
2001-02 Alonzo Mourning, Miami
2002-03 David Robinson, San Antonio
2003-04 Reggie Miller, Indiana
2004-05 Eric Snow, Cleveland
2005-06 Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2006-07 Steve Nash, Phoenix
2007-08 Chauncey Billups, Detroit
2008-09 Dikembe Mutombo, Houston
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연락처
Kam Hung IP
Senior Manager, International Communications, NBA Asia
852-2843 9628
