Every great basketball player peaks at his or her own pace. Now, it appears that pace is rapidly speeding up for the son of an all-time NBA great.
Ryan Mutombo, the 6-foot-11 son of Dikembe Mutombo has received scholarship offers from Georgetown and Georgia Tech, adding to the previous scholarships he held from Richmond and Indiana State.
According to 247Sports, the younger Mutombo’s rise comes in conjunction with a particularly strong outing at the Holiday Hoopsgiving Tournament in Atlanta. Playing for his Lovett School (Atlanta) squad, Mutombo reportedly showcased his elite length and stunning court vision for a player near 7-feet tall.
While the younger Mutombo is already taking (and making!) hook shots and mid-range jumpers, it’s his defensive intensity that could make him an instant standout at the next level. He works out extensively with his father every week and says he’s learning some of the tricks that made his father such a legendary player at Georgetown and in the NBA, on both sides of the ball.
“He’s trying to give me those nuggets here and there,” Ryan Mutombo told 247Sports. “He tells me to block everything. I go after every single ball when I’m down there. I’m really relentless.
“(Dikembe Mutombo) tells me to never be rushed when I’m in the post. If I feel my man playing straight behind me, I need to face him up and go to work and make the right play.”
With more and more of those plays being made by Ryan Mutombo, it’s no surprise that power programs including his father’s alma mater are suddenly interested in his services. Something tells us that trend won’t end anytime soon.