The hardwood has felt significantly lighter and the hearts of the NBA stars much heavier since the basketball world lost two of its towering figures; Kobe Bryant in 2020 and ‘The African Giant’: Dikembe Mutombo, this Monday. Their absence echoes through the arenas, as most will remember Bryant’s fadeaway jumpers and Mutombo’s defensive prowess on the court. However, as the NBA community grapples with these losses, a much lighter, fun-loving side of the Los Angeles Lakers legend who was known for his fierce ‘Mamba mentality‘, has come into light.

On Monday, just a few hours after the news of Mutombo’s lost battle with brain cancer became public, Bryant’s wife Vanessa took to her Instagram to share a video in which Bryant reveals an incident between his daughter Natalia and the late center. “She looks at him and I’m not sure if she can understand who he is. He’s one of the best defensive players of all time. She introduces herself to Dikembe and he says ‘Hey how you doing? (while imitating Mutombo’s voice)’. He puts his hand out to shake her hand and she looks at him and goes ‘No No No’, and we both just fell out laughing,” said Bryant during the video. Indeed, Natalia knew.

While the fans learned that the Lakers legend was equally good at mimicking others, Bryant got to know one thing his daughter knew. During her meeting with the legend, Natalia copied Mutombo’s famous ‘finger-wagging style’. According to Bryant, Natalia learned about this gesture from the late center’s popular Geico commercial, where he can be seen implementing his signature move in different situations.

The signature move wasn’t just about showmanship; it was also about psychological warfare. The seven-footer often used this gesture to intimidate his opponents and also as a sign of victory. This celebration even led to a feud between him and Michael Jordan during an All-Star Game in the 1990s.

Now if we talk about the on-court prowess of both players, their contribution to the game is equally great. While ‘Black Mamba’ has shown his offensive prowess by scoring a total of 33,643 points during his NBA career, the seven-footer on the side has made his contributions to defense by making 3,289 blocks.

As the Basketball community continues to honor both legends, this recent tribute by Vanessa Bryant serves as a powerful reminder that though we have lost the giants of the game, their spirit lives on through these stories. However, the late center’s off-court achievements have also made him ‘The African Giant’ we know today.

Dikembe Mutombo was also known for his philanthropic measures

If you think that the 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year was only great with his skills on the court then you might be wrong. Not only the seven-footer was known for his dominant playing but also for his charity, especially in his own country: the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Some of his well-known projects include the establishment of a $29 million Hospital in his hometown, Kinshasa, under his mother’s name ‘Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital’. Since it’s start in 2007, the hospital has accommodated over 500,00 patients and has also excelled in providing vital medications that were previously unavailable in that area. But his contributions don’t end here. In 2020, he also started the construction of a modern pre-k school in Congo named after his father.

Most importantly, being the first global ambassador of the NBA, Mutombo had also tried to bring the game to Africa. In 2004, he, along with other players like Shawn Bradley, Malik Rose, and DeSagana Diop, toured the continent to improve the infrastructure needed to play the game. His dedication to philanthropy has made a significant difference in the lives of countless people, both in the Congo and around the world.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.