Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, whose towering presence dominated basketball on and off the court, has died from brain cancer at the age of 58.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement on Monday. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”
Thanks in part to his 7′ 2″ height, Mutombo finished his career ranked second in the NBA in terms of blocked shots. During his 18-season NBA career, which spanned from 1991 to 2009, he was also named an eight-time All-Star and a four-time defensive player of the year multiple times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, and his number was retired by two of his teams, the Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets. In addition, he was a player for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks.
Mutombo was also known for his humanitarian work, particularly with the Special Olympics and in his birthplace of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where his Dikembe Mutombo Foundation focused improving health and quality of life in the country.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans … and really the whole world because, other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court,” Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid said on Monday. “He’s done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people, so he was a role model of mine.”
Daryl Morey, the president of the Philadelphia 76ers and a former colleague of Dikembe’s with the Houston Rockets, shed tears when speaking about his friend on Monday.
Morey remarked, “There aren’t many guys like him.” Simply said, an amazing person. He was a guy I saw frequently during my first stint in this league as a rookie general manager in Houston. We don’t need to discuss his on-court accomplishments too much. Just an extraordinary human being, what he did off the court for Africa. Peace be with you, Dikembe.
In addition to being a naturalized US citizen, Mutombo also held positions on other boards where he used his nine languages of speaking, such as Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the National Board for the US Fund for Unicef.
“Dikembe was the most suitable person to be the first Global Ambassador for the NBA. At his core, he was a humanist, Silver remarked. “He was passionate about the beneficial effects that basketball might have on communities, particularly in his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and throughout Africa. I had the honor of traversing the globe with Dikembe and witnessing directly the positive effects of his kindness and compassion on others. Over the years, he has become a familiar face to basketball fans of all ages because to his contagious smile, rich, powerful voice, and distinctive finger wag at NBA events.
In addition, Mutombo was well-known for his amusing finger wag, which he frequently employed following a blocked shot.
“People would still come and attempt to put a little bit on me even when I blocked shots. Then, every time I would block a shot, I used to shake my head,” Mutombo recalled. “Man fuck this, I exclaimed after that. I can’t get those guys to listen to me. Perhaps if I start waving my finger at them. And I’ll tell you what, man—that finger wag cost me a lot of money. Despite my several technical fouls, the referee did not remove me from the game.
Two years ago, Mutombo’s family initially disclosed that he was receiving treatment for brain cancer. Along with his three biological children, he and his wife, Rose, also adopted four more children. Ryan, his 7-foot-2-inch son, played three seasons of collegiate basketball at his father’s alma mater, Georgetown, before transferring to Georgia Tech. He passed away accompanied by his family, according to the NBA.
Using social media on Monday, Ryan Mutombo tweeted, “My dad is my hero because he simply cared.” “His heart is still the purest I have ever encountered.”
