Mutombo plans allstar game in Paris to fund hospital

Houston Chronicle:

Back from his night as an honored guest at the State of the Union address, Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo joined the Rockets here while making plans for a game on another continent.

In that one, Mutombo plans to bring Yao Ming with him.

Mutombo expects to hold an all-star game on July 15 in Paris with several NBA stars, including Yao, playing against the Spurs' Tony Parker and the French team.

Proceeds will benefit the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in Kinshasa, Republic of Congo.

"We have a game in Paris for the hospital," Mutombo said. "We're going to play against the French, all the international players playing in America, me, Yao, Dirk (Nowitzki), Pau Gasol, we're going to play against the French national team with Tony Parker.

"Yao is playing so we will raise a couple million. All the money will go to the hospital to run the hospital for the first couple of years."

NBA vice president of international communications Terry Lyons said the NBA is working on sanctioning the game.

"I think it will happen," Lyons said. "It's in the sanctioning process, that's for sure."

Mutombo hopes the hospital will begin treating patients in April, pending the delivery of some needed equipment. The official opening is scheduled for three days after the Paris game.

"I have a big fundraising coming up April 12 at the Houstonian, a big one," Mutombo said. "I'm trying to get the mayor (Bill White) and the father Bush to speak at it."

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His surprised teammates were quite proud of his appearance at teh Sate of the Union address.

Like most of the Rockets, Shane Battier noticed that Dikembe Mutombo was not on the flight to San Antonio. He, like most, did not know why until he saw the State of the Union address and saw his teammate being honored.

"I looked up there and said, 'Hey, there's Deke and the first lady (Laura Bush),' " Battier said. "I didn't know about it. You never know with Deke. You just think, 'He's out saving the world.' To see him in Washington, in Congress, the crazy thing about it was it wasn't surprising.

"You see one your friends on TV, you think, 'Oh my gosh.' I looked up. I didn't know about it. I said, 'There's Deke, getting an ovation at the State of the Union address.' It was cool.

"I felt very proud to be his teammate. It's rare for any of us. We've been through it all, but that was something. I was so proud."

Mutombo flew to San Antonio after the speech. By Wednesday's shootaround, most of his teammates who did not see it live had watched the ESPN coverage on Wednesday morning.

"It's a great honor," Bonzi Wells said. "To be with a teammate, a guy like that who has a chance to meet the president and do things like that, it's an honor for me to be around him."

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In an era of selfish athletes finding one who is so unselfish is pretty refreshing. I was a little surprised he did not even get his patented finger wag in when he was on camera.