Mavericks coach Jason Kidd on ex-Jersey teammate Dikembe Mutombo undergoing treatment for brain tumor: ‘We’re praying for him to come out’

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd admittedly was “caught off guard” by the disheartening news surrounding Dikembe Mutombo, his former teammate with whom he played during the New Jersey Nets’ second consecutive NBA Finals run in 2002-2003.

Speaking on behalf of his family, the NBA on October 15 announced that Mutombo, 56, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor in Atlanta and is in “great spirits.”

“Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care,” the league said of Mutombo, who is second in NBA history in career blocks. “They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes.”

Speaking publicly for the first time since learning of Mutombo’s diagnosis, Kidd said he’s confident his former teammate will make a full recovery.

“I was caught off guard when I saw the headline,” Kidd, following the Mavs’ final preseason practice on Tuesday, said of the news surrounding Mutombo. “I haven’t read the article or know where he stands, so I can’t really speak on whatever treatment (he’s undergoing)…or if he’s getting treatment. My prayers are with him.”

While Kidd was surprised after receiving the news of Mutombo’s illness, he said such a development is a reminder that prominent individuals, too, aren’t exempt from the struggles and hardships life often deals us.

“It’s just that athletes are humans and they can be affected by anything, including a disease,” Kidd said. “And for him to have to go through this, we’re praying for him to come out.”

Born in Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa, the capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the 7-foot-2 Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons for six different franchises: Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York Knicks, and Houston.

Selected No. 4 overall out of Georgetown by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo made eight All-Star appearances and is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001).

After his 2009 “farewell tour” with the Rockets, Mutombo had ultimately finished his career with 11,729 points, 12,359 rebounds, and 3,289 blocks (second only to Hakeem Olajuwon’s 3,830).

On September 11, 2015, Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Although he spent a majority of his lone season in New Jersey battling a rash of injuries, Mutombo played sparingly in the postseason, specifically as the Nets’ sixth man during the team’s second consecutive Finals appearance, which ended in six games to eventual champion San Antonio.

“You got blown by a lot because you know he was behind you, so he was a lot of help, defensively,” Kidd said of playing with Mutombo, whose remaining two years were bought out the Nets.

Since calling it a career, Mutombo has become well known for his humanitarian work, having established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo. Also, Mutombo is a longtime supporter of Special Olympics and is currently a member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, as well as a Global Ambassador.

On the court, Kidd described Mutombo as a fierce “competitor” who was well-respected in the locker room.

“He wanted to win,” Kidd said of his former teammate. “He was funny. He was a character. And so it was always great to be around him when he was in Jersey. He’s a fighter, and we believe he’s going to fight and come out healthy after his treatment.”

Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder/Publisher & Editor In Chief of Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson has covered the National Basketball Association since 2010. To reach Johnson, call him at 901-690-6587 or send email to makingheadlinenews@gmail.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.