2024-09-30 16:05:00
(CNN) – Dikembe Mutombo, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame known for his blocks and his famous finger movement after preventing opponents from scoring, died on Monday at the age of 58 from brain cancer. as reported by the NBA.
Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, he was an eight-time NBA All-Star and won the league’s defensive player of the year award four times.
His huge smile was playful along with his defensive prowess (he led the league in blocks for five consecutive seasons during an 18-year playing career and retired second on the all-time blocked shots list the NBA).
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo first came to Georgetown University in Washington on an academic scholarship in 1987, and rose to prominence when he joined the basketball team as a sophomore.
He was selected fourth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.
In addition to playing for the Nuggets, he played for the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets.
Off the field, the tall center was known for his humanitarian work. In 1997, Mutombo created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation with the mission of improving education and quality of life in his native DRC.
In 2022, the NBA reported that Mutombo was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor in Atlanta.
The league said he was surrounded by his family when he died on Monday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement saying: “Dickmbe Mutombo was larger than life. On the court, he was one of the best shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Off the court, he gave himself body and soul to help others.”
“There was no one more qualified than Dikembe to be the first world ambassador of the NPA. Deep down it was humanitarian. He loved what basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and throughout the African continent. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing firsthand how his generosity and compassion for people rose. Over the years, he has always been approachable at NBA events, with his infectious smile, booming voice and trademark finger movement endearing him to basketball fans of all generations.”
“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit lives on with those he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives have been touched by Dikembe’s big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I offer my heartfelt condolences to Dikembe’s wife, Rose, and his children; to his many friends; and to the global basketball community, which he loved and respected very much,” the statement said.
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