People wonder why I love Africa so much. I say this is where I was born and raised. My roots are in Africa; that's were I developed. Dikembe Mutombo More Quotes by Dikembe Mutombo More Quotes From Dikembe Mutombo Food - there's no greater gift. Dikembe Mutombo hunger greater When you take the elevator to the top, please remember to send it back down so someone else might use it. Dikembe Mutombo elevators might-use remember God put us here to prepare this place for the next generation. That's our job. Raising children and helping the community, that's preparing for the next generation. Dikembe Mutombo community jobs children I've always felt obligated to help those less fortunate than me. It's an obligation that anyone who has a chance to be in the NBA should feel and act upon. Dikembe Mutombo nba chance helping When an elevator brings u upstairs, you better send it back down in order to bring others up! Dikembe Mutombo upstairs elevators order I cannot forget the place that I come from. The Congo is much in need. Dikembe Mutombo congo forget needs 24,000 people, 18,000 of them children, die every day because of hunger. Each year we bring food to nearly 90 million people in more than 80 countries. Food - there's no greater gift, and no better way to give it than the World Food Programme. Dikembe Mutombo country children years After spending more than 17 years playing for the NBA, in the summertime, I always came back to community service and different basketball clinics. Dikembe Mutombo nba basketball years It's not easy to teach a child how to win. Dikembe Mutombo easy winning children Me as a backup center? Hell no. Dikembe Mutombo backup hell I'm so glad I didn't become a doctor, because I do more than any doctor can do. I am an administrator, a CEO, doctor, psychiatrist, an activist, a campaign funder. I think I did well. Dikembe Mutombo doctors campaigns thinking My decision leaving the Nuggets was based on the organization not saying they had the cap room to sign me. Dikembe Mutombo leaving organization decision I remember when I came into the NBA, eighteen years ago, there were maybe nine to twelve international players playing in the NBA. Today we've got more than 85, so that tells you how our game has grown at that level. Dikembe Mutombo nba player years When I travel around the globe, I try as hard as I can to represent the NBA and the game of basketball to the best of my abilities. I get to go around the world and not only share the game but also my philanthropic work. Building a hospital in the Congo is one of the proudest achievements of my life. Dikembe Mutombo nba basketball games I know the president is quick. I have friends who played with him during the campaign; they say he's very good. I told the president that whenever the next pickup game is, I'll get on the plane to Washington - but sometimes they play so early in the morning. Dikembe Mutombo games play morning It's easy to be a spokesman and ambassador for a great organization like the NBA. I thank Commissioner David Stern for putting that trust in me to serve the NBA around the globe. Dikembe Mutombo ambassadors nba organization I believe in the Democratic party, and their philosophy and what they stand for - for the poor people. Dikembe Mutombo party philosophy believe The doctors and nurses at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital are saving lives every day and helping improve health care in the DRC which has been ravaged by more than a decade of war and disease. Dikembe Mutombo doctors nurse war The NBA is becoming a global game. Dikembe Mutombo nba becoming games I created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation back in 1997 for the purpose of going in and improving the living conditions of my people on the African continent, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo where I came from. Our first mission was to go and build a new hospital. Our next mission was to build a school. Dikembe Mutombo foundation people school