The NBA world felt a massive loss with the passing of Dikembe Mutombo. After the sad news, Joakim Noah, who shared a close bond with the legendary shot-blocker, described him as “A real African Giant. A giant among giants with an even bigger heart.” But it wasn’t just Mutombo’s presence on the court that left an impact. His energy was just different and Noah recalls it through a one simple meeting.

Mount Mutombo has always been a role model for Noah. His father, Yannick Noah, the 1983 French Open winner, and Mutombo shared the same agent. So the late NBA star has been in Joakim Noah’s life for long, being a mentor to him. So as he appeared on All the Smoke podcast, Mutombo’s discussion was bound to come up. When asked how it was to be around the former Denver Nuggets star, Noah shared a unique story.

The ex-Clippers star recalled a particular moment when he met the icon while wearing something casual—just a T-shirt and sweatpants. Seemed like an ordinary day, right? No, not for Mutombo. Without missing a beat, Mutombo gave Noah a warning: “If you’re around me, just don’t be dressing like that.”

According to Noah, Mutombo believed a player’s image extended beyond the game. “You need to, you know, this is business now. Tighten up. Tighten up,” Mutombo told him, Noah revealed in the podcast. “That’s the energy Dikembe had. It wasn’t just basketball.” 

The two in the later years, worked side by side on launching the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a project that Noah considers one of his greatest achievements.

Noah’s admiration for Dikembe Mutombo

Back in 2011, Joakim Noah was still with the Bulls when a post-game interview took an unexpected turn. Mid-sentence, Noah noticed Dikembe Mutombo chatting with other players and couldn’t hide his excitement. Without hesitation, he jumped up, left the interview, and started speaking French to Mutombo. It was clear that the legendary center wasn’t just another player to Noah.

Interestingly, while people often talk about Noah’s French background or his time in New York and Florida, his roots run deep in Africa. His grandfather, Zacharie Noah, still resides in Cameroon, making that connection with Mutombo even stronger. The two players share more than just basketball; they share an African heritage.

Noah’s admiration for Mutombo’s off-court efforts was undeniable. “All the African players in the league, we call [Mutombo] Monsieur Ambassadeur,” Noah proudly shared. “The guy’s building hospitals. What more can you say? You gotta show him some love.”

Noah, who visits Africa every year and has a home in Cameroon, made it clear that Mutombo was more than just a basketball figure to him. “When it comes to giving back and doing things in Africa, being able to network with Dikembe Mutombo — I don’t think it gets much better than that.”