June 21, 2012
By JIM ARMSTRONG | Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — Former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo is doing his bit to help basketball continue to grow internationally.
Appointed as the NBA's global ambassador in 2009, Mutombo is in Japan to conduct basketball clinics with the Basketball Without Borders program.
The four-day camp in Japan is attended by the top 50 young basketball players from 18 Asian countries.
Samuel Dalembert of the Houston Rockets, Vladimir Radmanovic of the Atlanta Hawks, Corey Brewer of the Denver Nuggets and former NBA player Yuta Tabuse of Japan also are taking part in the clinics.
"We bring our knowledge of the game and pass it on to young people," Mutombo said. "I am proud to say that there are now about 200 or 250 young men who took part in Basketball Without Borders who are now playing in American high schools and colleges."
When he started his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets in 1991, Mutombo was just the third African player in the league following Manute Bol and Hakeem Olajuwon.