Dikembe Mutombo

In August of 2002, Mutombo was traded to the New Jersey Nets. Having played most of his career injury-free, Mutombo suffered a torn ligament in his right hand, which required surgery in early December, and placing the center on the injured list for the a good share of the remainder of the season. Before being sidelined, Mutombo had racked up a career total of more than 10,000 rebounds, 2,800 blocked shots, and 10,000 points.

Mutombo's success on the court has not made him forget his family or his homeland. He and his wife Rose have a daughter, Carrie Biamba Wamutumbo, and a son, Jean Jacques Dikembe Mutumbo Mplombo, Jr. They are the adoptive parents of four children, belonging to two of Mutombo's deceased brothers. Along with caring for his family financially, Mutombo also gives generously to his homeland. In 1994 he traveled Africa as an international spokesperson for CARE, and in 1999 he established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to provide funding for humanitarian assistance in Congo. Already a national hero, his popularity increased in 1996 when he donated the money to provide the Congo national women's team with uniforms for the Olympic Games. In 1999 he contributed $3 million to help establish a new hospital in the country and provided $250,000 in medical supplies to existing hospitals.