NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer, the NBA said in a statement on Monday. He was 58.
He was surrounded by his family, the statement said.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”
In a statement in October 2022, the NBA announced that the retired Congolese basketball legend was undergoing treatment after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The 58-year-old NBA Hall of Famer is well-known for philanthropic endeavors in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutumbo played in the NBA from 1991 until 2009. He recorded 11,729 points, 12,359 rebounds, and 3,289 blocks during 18 seasons spent mostly with the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, and Houston Rockets.
The retired basketball legend had a very formidable career in the NBA and is well-remembered for his defensive prowess. He became the second player with the most blocked shots in the NBA. Mutombo also won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. The 58-year-old and Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace are the only NBA players to have scooped this award four times.
The Congolese native and Nigeria’s Hakeem Olajuwon made a mark in the NBA as the league’s first notable basketball stars from Africa. Mutombo made it to the NBA finals with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets. But he lost on both occasions.
Outside of basketball, Mutombo, a goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Program, is noted for his contribution to humanitarianism. In 2018, he received the Sager Strong Award for his humanitarian work in his native Democratic Republic of Congo.
And aside from building the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, named after his mother, Mutombo has provided free breast and cervical cancer screenings for women. He has also played instrumental roles in the fight against polio in the Democratic Republic of Congo by leading vaccination efforts and treatments.
