Dikembe Mutombo, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, one of the best defenders in NBA history and a longtime ambassador for the sport, died Monday of brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58 years old.
His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “On the court, he was one of the best shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Off the field, he gave himself body and soul to help others.”
Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center from Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-NBA selection and entered the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10 .3 rebounds per game during his career.
Mutombo last played during the 2008–09 season, devoting his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes. He speaks nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, which aims to improve the health, education and quality of life of the people of Congo.
Mutombo has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the national board of the United States Fund for UNICEF.
“No one was more qualified than Dikembe to become the NBA’s first global ambassador,” Mr. Silver said. “He was a humanist at heart. He loved what basketball could do to positively impact communities, particularly in his native Democratic Republic of Congo and across the African continent.”
Basketball Hall of Famer Kembe Mutombo, one of the best defenders in NBA history and a longtime ambassador for the sport, died Monday of brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58 years old.
His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “On the court, he was one of the best shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Off the field, he gave himself body and soul to help others.”
Mutombo stood out in many ways: he playfully waved his finger after blocking his opponents’ shots, he was tall, he had a deep, deep voice, he smiled brightly. Players of this generation have always been drawn to him and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, was inspired by Mutombo.
“It is a sad day, especially for us Africans, and for the whole world,” Embiid said Monday. “Besides what he accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys I admire for his impact, not only on the field, but off it as well. He did a lot of great things. He did a lot of things for a lot of people. He was a role model for me. It’s a sad day.”
Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-7 center from Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA selection and entered the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during of his career.
“It’s really hard to believe,” Toronto president Masai Ujiri said Monday, pausing several times because he was overcome with emotion shortly after hearing the news of Mutombo’s death. “It’s hard for us to be without this guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me… This guy made us what we are. He’s a giant, an incredible person.”
Mutombo last played in the 2008-09 season and devoted his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes. He speaks nine languages and established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, which focuses on improving the health, education and quality of life of people in Congo.
Mutombo has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the national board of the United States Fund for UNICEF.
“No one was more qualified than Dikembe to become the NBA’s first global ambassador,” Mr. Silver said. “He was a humanist at heart. He loved what basketball could do to positively impact communities, particularly in his native Democratic Republic of Congo and across the African continent.”
Mutombo is one of three players to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times. The others are Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, reigning DPOY winner, and Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.
Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey, who worked with Mutombo for many seasons in Houston, was informed of his friend’s death during the team’s media day Monday. Tears welled up in Morey’s eyes when he heard the news.
“There aren’t a lot of guys like him,” Morey said. “He is an exceptional human being. When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to see all the time. … His exploits on the field, we don’t need to talk too much about that. He’s just an extraordinary human being, what he’s done off the field for Africa. Rest in peace, Dikembe.”
