The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Quest Water Global have announced plans to build 55 basketball courts in Democratic Republic of Congo in honour of the late four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo.

In a statement on Monday, the two organisations stated that they were also committed to building and renovating 1,000 basketball courts across the continent over the next ten years, with Quest selected to serve as league’s Official Infrastructure Development Partner in the DRC. 

“NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and Quest Water Global, a socially responsible water solutions company, today announced a multiyear collaboration to build or renovate 55 full-size and 3-on-3 basketball courts across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by 2030.

“The collaboration will support NBA Africa’s commitment to build or renovate 1,000 courts across the continent over the next decade and see Quest Water Global serve as the league’s Official Infrastructure Development Partner in the DRC,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the collaboration between the NBA and Quest kicked started on September 29 with the unveiling of a new basketball court in Onatra, Kinshasa, where Mutombo first began playing before moving to the United States. 

He became the NBA’s first global ambassador following his retirement in 2009.

“The collaboration tipped off on Tuesday, Sept. 29 with the unveiling of a new outdoor basketball court at Cercle Onatra, Kinshasa, where Mutombo began his basketball journey with Basketball Club Onatra before relocating to the U.S.  

“The court pays homage to Mutombo by featuring his iconic No. 55 jersey number at center court and is expected to serve thousands of youth from the local community each year. To celebrate the unveiling, NBA Africa hosted a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA clinic for 80 local coaches,” the statement noted. 

“Collaborating with NBA Africa on this court build initiative reflects our shared belief that healthy, thriving communities need more than one thing – they need clean water, safe spaces, and the opportunity to grow,” Quest Water Global, Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Balanko said in regards to the collaboration.

He added, “Quest Water Global is proud to stand alongside NBA Africa in this work, and honored that our collaboration carries forward a spirit of service and community investment that will outlast all of us.”