The news of the death of Dikembe Mutombo hit the NBA right in the heart, on the first day of school for most franchises. And it is undoubtedly Masai Ujiri who took the hardest shock.
The Nigerian leader of the Raptors was keen to pay tribute to his mentor at a press conference, even if the words had difficulty finding their way through the tears…
“I just heard the news about… I don't know why I'm doing this… I just heard the news about Dikembe Mutombo and it's really hard to believe. It's hard for us to be without this guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo means to me… Wow… I'm sorry, it's complicated, but I have to say it. »
“He was immense but his heart was even more immense”
“This guy, he made us who we are. This guy is a giant, an incredible person. Who are we without Dikembe Mutombo? It's impossible. I went to Dikembe Mutombo's hometown with him, I went to his hospital, you can't understand what this guy means to the world. And now he is gone, he has left us. I have no words, for his family, for Mama Rose (his wife), for his children… This guy was the biggest giant you could find, with an even bigger heart. I know that he will be able to rest and that his family will get through this but he has done so much, for us, for the African continent, for his people. »
“You can't imagine what he brought to the youth of the continent, nor what he did for me in my career. He took me under his wing in Denver and made me grow as a person. And now he's gone, he's left us. The way he treated my family, my children. He touched everyone. He was huge but his heart was even bigger. Today is not a good day. Not a good day for sport, for us in Africa. But we're going to celebrate it, and do it big. He paved a path for us and not many people can do that. I am proud to have known Dikembe Mutombo, I am proud to have worked with him, I am proud that he was my mentor, I am proud to have done a lot of things alongside him, to have traveled a lot in Africa with him. This news hurts. I didn't want to ruin the day but this news really hurts. »
