Legendary NBA player, Hall of Famer and Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo has died at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced on Monday.
"Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life," Silver said in a statement. "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.
"There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA's first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing first-hand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years -- with his infectious smile, deep booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation."
Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1966, Mutombo was one of 10 children. He grew up playing soccer and was studying for a medical career. He then turned to basketball at the age of 16 and moved to the United States at the age of 21, where he attended Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship.
Despite picking up basketball at a late age, Mutombo quickly developed his skills as a shot blocker and was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991.
Mutombo then entered the 1991 NBA Draft, where he was picked by the Denver Nuggets. Mutombo’s NBA career spanned 18 seasons and included stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.
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Mutombo was an eight-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He was also part of the Sixers team that reached the NBA Finals in 2001. Mutombo was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and his number was retired by both the Hawks and the Nuggets.
Mutombo was also known for his signature finger wag whenever he blocked a shot.
Mutombo was known for his humanitarian work as well and his efforts to improve the living conditions of his native Democratic Republic of Congo. He also won the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009.
"It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world," Sixers center Joel Embiid said at the team's media day on Monday. "Other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys that I look up to, as far as having an impact, not just on the court, but off the court. He’s done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model of mine. It is a sad day."
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who was the General Manager of the Houston Rockets when Mutombo played for the team, also spoke on the legendary big man's death during the Sixers media day.
“I knew him personally. We were together for many seasons in Houston. He’s obviously very important to the Sixers franchise as well," Morey said. "There aren’t many guys like him. Just a great human being. When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to all the time … he was older than me, which is pretty rare. Obviously, his accomplishments on the court, we don’t need to talk about too much. But just an amazing human being with what he did off the court for Africa. Rest in peace, Dikembe.”
More members of the NBA community and beyond paid tribute to Mutombo on social media throughout the day.
Mutombo is survived by his wife, three children and four adopted children.
