Hawks retire Mutombo's No. 55

ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Hawks retired Dikembe Mutombo's No. 55 jersey Tuesday night to honor the longtime shot blocker's Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Mutombo signed as a free agent in 1996 to make Atlanta the second stop on an 18-year career he spent with five other teams.

''I don't think I ever thought my jersey would be retired,'' Mutombo told reporters after his jersey was hung from the arena rafters in a halftime ceremony. ''My name will stay forever.''

The 7-foot-2 Mutombo was a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, an eight-time All-Star, and he ranks second on the league's career blocked shots list and 20th in rebounds.

Through his foundation, Mutombo, 49, built a hospital that has served 140,000 in his native Congo. He twice won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and now works for the league as a global ambassador.

Mutombo was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame two months ago.