Shannon Sharpe shares his hilarious account with departed NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo

Shannon Sharpe shares his hilarious account with departed NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo

Joel Omotto 20:00 - 30.09.2024

Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe has shared a heartwarming story of his hilarious encounters with NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo who died on Monday.

NFL legend Shannon Sharpe has shared a heartwarming story of his first encounter with departed NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo.

Mutombo died on Monday aged 58 following a battle with brain cancer and as tributes continue to pour in, Sharpe has shared how he got to know him when both were playing professionally in Denver and later in Atlanta.

"I would see him all the time in the gym. Every time I would see him, Stephen A., your workout was done. Because the moment you saw him, if you were working out, you ain't doing no more workout, because he's going to talk to you for a good 30-45 minutes and ruin your workout," Sharpe joked during a conversation with First Take.

Congolese basketball legend Mutombo played in the NBA from 1991-2009 before retiring as an eight-time All-Star and four-time Defensive Player of the Year but he touched hearts beyond his sport not just for his humanitarian work but his personality.

"He was a guy that loved to talk. He was a great guy, funny guy. He was great. It's so tragic. My heart breaks for his family, friends and loved ones," added Sharpe.

Mutombo, who had extensive humanitarian work in Central Africa, especially in his native DR Congo, played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, then-New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks and was inducted in the NBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

His no.55 is retired at both Nuggets and Hawks in his honour after ending his NBA career with 3,289 blocked shots, the second NBA history, behind fellow Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.

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