A legendary basket player, Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer at the age of 58.
The National Basketball Association, NBA, made this disclosure in a statement on Monday, saying he died at the age of 58 years
The NBA said Mutombo, who who was renowned for his shot blocking and defensive prowess, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022.
In the statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life, adding that on the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the NBA, while off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.
The deceased was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo before moving to the United States and playing college basketball at Georgetown University.
Drafted by the Denver Nuggets as the fourth pick in the 1991 draft, the seven-foot, two-inch center played with six NBA teams throughout his 18-year career and was an eight-time NBA All-Star.
In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
It was gathered that his 3,289 blocks rank second all-time in NBA history, and he was known for his signature finger wag celebration.
In addition to the Nuggets, he had played for the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.
Mutombo is one of three players to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year four times.
He is most remembered for his dominant defensive performance in the 1994 playoffs, when he helped lead the Nuggets to a massive upset over the Seattle Supersonics — the first No. seed to ever beat a No. 1. Mutombo blocked an NBA-record 31 shots in the series and the Sonics head coach acknowledged that the center had psychologically intimated his team.
“He got in our players’ heads at the very beginning and never left,” Seattle coach George Karl said.
Beyond basketball, Mutombo started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in the Congo in 1997.
He also serves on the board of Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
Mutombo spent the latter part of his life as an ambassador for the NBA.
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