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Tavis: Dikembe Mutombo is a veteran NBA all star who many regard as one of the best defensive centers in the history of the game, but it is his work off the court that has gained the attention of many people who know nothing about basketball. He is a native of the Congo, and through the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, he's donated and raised millions of dollars toward improving the lives of those in his native country.

And next year, he is finally set to open a multi-million dollar medical center named after his late mother. It will be the first of its kind in the Congo in almost 40 years. It is my honor to have on this program NBA perennial All-Star Dikembe Mutombo.

Dikembe Mutombo: Thank you, my brother, thank you.

Tavis: Nice to have you here, man, how are you?

Mutombo: I'm doing fine. How you doing?

Tavis: I'm doing all right, man, glad to have you here.

Mutombo: Thank you.

Tavis: This has been a long - let me go right to the hospital. (Laugh) That is such - I said when you walked out here that it was an honor to have you here, and I mean that.

Mutombo: Thank you, thank you.

Tavis: Because there are a lot of great athletes, and a lot of great athletes who have found a way to give back. But this has been a journey for you.

Mutombo: A big journey.

Tavis: To build this hospital. Tell me about why you got this thing in your heart that you had to do this.

Mutombo: You mean the passion of doing it?

Tavis: Yeah.

Mutombo: Oh. I think it's, like, something I was born with. Something, because I can't realize, really, where does it came from. Sometime I give it out, the credit, more to my parents, to my mom and my dad, the way I was brought up in such a large family. And my dad looked after so many people. And that kind of inspired so many of us, my brothers and sister, to go and do the same thing when we're becoming successful. And when I came to this country, I got a chance to be who I am today, and I felt that I did have an obligation to do the same thing.

Tavis: Tell me about your mother. I mentioned you're gonna name this facility after your mother. Tell me about your mother.

Mutombo: Oh, she's still a special person in my life, and not just someone who brought this big child that so many people admire today. But it just gave a special gift to this world, which is me, to come out and do something that nobody else has ever done. The advice, all of the, everything they did for us. I don't know how to express about my mom. I just love the woman so much, and I wish that she was around to see my children.

This is something I always cry, that she begged me to get married, (laugh) and I got married, and just a year after the marriage, my mom passed away. So she didn't get a chance to see her grandchildren. So now, I always know that she's looking after me, and is looking after my kids (unintelligible).

Tavis: Yeah. How many brothers and sisters do you have?

Mutombo: There's 10 of us, eight boys and two girls.

Tavis: Okay, so 10 in my family, too. So 10 in my family, 10 in mine. (Laugh) And how many kids do you have now?

Mutombo: Three, and four adopted. Seven.

Tavis: Are you gonna hit 10?

Mutombo: No, I'm done. (Laugh) I already got a starting basketball team, and a reserve (unintelligible).

Tavis: (Laugh) You got your starting five, and two reserves, and that's it. All right. Tell me about why this facility, this hospital, is so necessary in your country. Tell me about the Republic of Congo, which was formerly Zaire. Tell me about your country, and why this facility is so needed.

Mutombo: The health system in my country is really in a critical stage right now. The World Bank and everybody in the (unintelligible) organization, the United Nation, everybody's trying to do something to fix it up. But for so long, nobody didn't wanna do nothing, almost for 40 years. And by being a pre-med student when I went to Georgetown, my old dream was to becoming a doctor one day, and go back home.

I never, ever thought about playing the game of basketball that I'm playing today. And when the chance came to play in the NBA, to play this game I love so much and making such a good money, and I decide that I wanna go and do something positive in my country. And I searched around, and I felt that the hospital would be a good thing. But I didn't know it was going to be something with this big multitude of almost 300 bed with $29 million project that I have to work on.

Tavis: Yeah. And you have given to this project, we are told, about -

Mutombo: Fifteen.

Tavis: Fifteen, yeah, you know the number. (Laugh)

Mutombo: (Laugh) It's a lot.

Tavis: I was trying to spit it out, you was like no, 15. So 15 million of your own money, you've already put in this project.

Mutombo: Yes.

Tavis: Yeah. I was laughing when you said you came to Georgetown to be a pre-med student. So the NBA pays a little better. Doctors don't do bad, but the NBA pays (laugh) a little better, huh?

Mutombo: You know what? I'm glad that I did a good job by going to the basketball. (Laugh)

Tavis: Yeah, I'm glad you did, too. (Laugh) But that's a fascinating story unto itself. For people who don't - I've been a Mutombo fan for...

Mutombo: No, no, no. (Laugh)

Tavis: Go ahead and do it, go ahead and do it. There you go. (Laugh) Don't bring that down the lane. We don't want none of that. Your fans know this story well, but it's an amazing story unto itself. You mentioned you went to Georgetown to be a pre-med student.

Mutombo: Yes.

Tavis: Tell the story of how you actually got on - here you are now, one of the best defensive centers ever in the history of the game, but you didn't go to Georgetown to play basketball. How'd you get on the team?

Mutombo: I was not a recruit. I was minding my own business on campus, (laugh) as always, as a (unintelligible) student. And I was approached by the university official that the president of the university would like to see me. And I went up, and in the office they're asking me if it would be a good choice for me to play on the basketball team next year. Because I came as an exchange student, so I couldn't be on the basketball team a couple of weeks later, because I think my obligation with the State Department was to study and go back home one day, as it was part of the program. So then I was introduced to John Thompson, and the first time I met him I was so scared. I said, oh my God, I have to work for somebody this tall, almost seven foot.

Tavis: You're seven-two. (Laugh)

Mutombo: (unintelligible) is huge. He kind of scared me, and he was like a daddy, and I got scared so much. And I said yes, I'm gonna do it. And the following year, I was part of the basketball team.

Tavis: Had you played basketball back in your country?

Mutombo: No, I didn't like basketball. I hated it so much (laugh) when I was young.

Tavis: Oh my goodness. You hated basketball.

Mutombo: I played soccer all over my high school and elementary school. Basketball court was in my high school, but I didn't wanna be there.

Tavis: How does a seven-footer even play soccer?

Mutombo: I was a goalie. I was a good one, too. (Laugh)

Tavis: Okay. (Laugh) That makes sense. I guess you got the whole goal covered up.

Mutombo: Yes, yes. (Laugh)

Tavis: All right, I can see it. I can see that. Tell me, as you look back on it, what made your relationship with John Thompson so special? And I ask that 'cause I wanna follow up with an Alan Iverson question, speaking of John Thompson.

Mutombo: I think John Thompson, a lot of people see him as a coach. To me, I see him like a father. Not just as a father figure. I think he's more like my dad, and someone who took me on his wing, as a papa looking after his child. And make sure that I didn't get in trouble. Make sure that I succeeded. Make sure that I understand that school was important in anything else. And he made us understand that basketball is great, but there's life after basketball. And I think that concept stayed in my mind until today.

Tavis: Yeah. Alan Iverson. Another Georgetown alum, and I raise his name to you, because you Georgetown alum are very close.

Mutombo: Very close.

Tavis: You and AI and Alonzo Mourning, and Patrick Ewing, you guys are all very close. What do you make of the situation going on with him right now? And unless something happened in the last few minutes, he has not yet been traded. (Laugh) Although Philadelphia has told him not to come back. That broke my heart.

Mutombo: Yeah. Philadelphia is a tough place to play. It doesn't matter who you are. Going from Dr. J to Charles Barclay. Any great basketball player (unintelligible) Philadelphia. It's not like a town where you think that because you're on the top of the world that the fans cannot push you out. It's very tough, and I remember myself after going there for a few months and taking the team to the championship with Alan Iverson.

And then the following year, we came back this season, we didn't win at the conference. But for the fact that we was in the final the year before, and that the fans just didn't appreciate that we didn't go to the final the following year, and then everybody was asking for the trade for Mutombo. And it's very tough, even on my wife and kids. They're living there. It's very tough to play there, but I understand for 10 years, Alan Iverson have to deal with that. Maybe it was time for him to move on in his life.

Tavis: Well, if they boo Santa Claus, (laugh) then they will boo any - I love Philadelphia, but they boo Santa Claus and Kobe when he came home from lower (unintelligible). They will boo anybody.

Mutombo: Yes.

Tavis: Why are you still playing? You're good, obviously. But you could have hung - what size is that, by the way?

Mutombo: Twenty-two.

Tavis: Twenty-two. A 22 shoe. (Laugh) You could have hung up your 22s a long time ago. Why you still out there?

Mutombo: I still love the game.

Tavis: Yeah.

Mutombo: And I tell you the truth, the money's still good. (Laugh)

Tavis: Yeah. (Laugh) I'm still good.

Mutombo: I'm telling you, there's no job out there that you will find today, keep paying you three, five, six, seven million dollars for eight months where you can just report playing five or 10 minutes. And all you have to do is just wake up in the morning, go to practice for two hours, and go home and be with your wife and kids. And continue to do the things that you love to do. Building a hospital, helping people.

Tavis: Do you think that you appreciate the opportunity you have more than most guys in the NBA? And I ask that because we look at athletes today as just being spoiled rotten for all the money they make. I look at - AI is due $40 million. Whoever gets him owes him 40. This cat is sitting home, getting paid. (Laugh) And they still owe him 40 million for the next two.

And I love AI, I'm not casting aspersion on him. I wonder whether or not you think, because of where you have come from, you have a greater appreciation for the chance to play and make the kind of money you make.

Mutombo: I have (unintelligible) on the job I have, because I think the NBA is one of the best jobs that anybody can have. The average career in the NBA is, like, three to four years. And to get an opportunity to last in the league more than 16 years, and which I wish that I can play maybe two or maybe one or two more, you have to thank God. On the same token, you have to thank yourself, with the self-discipline that you have developed yourself to being a successful basketball player, and to being appreciated by the coaches, by the organization, and any (unintelligible), also by the fans.

Tavis: Yeah. Well, the fans love you, and we love you. And not just because you're a great basketball player, but this story, I know I've been following it for years. Every time I see a story about it, I tune in. how is Dikembe doing with the hospital? It's finally gonna get opened next year.

Mutombo: Next year, maybe in January or February. Very soon.

Tavis: Congratulations.

Mutombo: Thank you, my brother.

Tavis: Honor to have you on, man.

Mutombo: Thank you, my brother.

Tavis: I love this guy, even though he plays for the Rockets. Dikembe Mutombo. (Laugh) That's - I love you in Houston. I love you. That's our show for tonight. (Laugh) Catch me on the weekends, PRI, Public Radio International. See you back here next time on PBS. Until then, good night from L.A., thanks for watching, and as always, keep the faith. Hey, 'cause I'm in L.A.