The No. 55 that Dikembe Mutombo wore while playing for the Atlanta Hawks will be retired by the team this fall.
Mutombo, who is going into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11, will be honoredby the Hawks on Nov. 24 during a game against the Boston Celtics in Philips Arena.
The 7-foot-2 Mutombo played for the Hawks from 1995 to 2001 and ranks second in NBA history in blocked shots and and is third in franchise history in blocks and rebounds per game.
“There are very few players who have had the impact on and off the court that Dikembe has had, and he’s very deserving of this honor,” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said. “As a player, man and humanitarian, he represents everything we want to be associated with. November 24th is going to be a memorable night in our franchise’s history, in Atlanta, in Fulton County, and for Dikembe and his family.”
Other numbers retired by the Hawks are Dominique Wilkins (21), Lou Hudson (23) and Bob Pettit (9).
Mutombo spent 18 years in the NBA and averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds. 2.8 blocked shots and 1.0 assists in 1,196 career games. Four times he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he made the All-Star team eight times. He also is the only two-time winner of the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.