Former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo has died at the age of 58 after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
The Congolese-American basketball legend played for 18 seasons in the NBA and is widely regarded as one of the finest shot-blockers and defensive players of all time.
Selected fourth by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 Draft, Mutombo would go on to play for the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets across an illustrious career at the top.
Mutombo retired from the sport in 2009 and became renowned for his work in the humanitarian field, particularly with the Special Olympics.
In his birthplace of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, focused on improving the quality of life and health of citizens across the country.
‘Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,’ NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement this afternoon.
‘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.’
The 7 ft 2 in NBA Hall of Famer revealed that he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumour in 2022 and died surrounded by his family and loved ones on Monday.
Mutombo and his wife, Rose, had seven children together, four of whom the couple adopted.
Legendary US sports broadcaster Stephen A Smith led the tributes on ESPN’s First Take programme, highlighting Mutombo’s extraordinary legacy both on and off the court.
‘He was one of the best human beings you could possibly meet,’ Smith said.
‘No matter what you know about him as a basketball player, he was an even better human being.
‘He was always about giving, always about helping the Democratic Republic of Congo along with being an humanitarian for the world.
‘His heart was just huge, it was big. One of the most beautiful, beautiful human beings I’ve ever known.’
Mutombo’s son, Ryan, took to Instagram to pay tribute to his father, who he said would continue to be his ‘hero’.
‘My dad will forever be my hero. Not because of his success – not because of the millions who, over the last four decades, have come to know and love him,’ he wrote.
‘My dad is my hero because he simply cared. He remains the purest heart I have ever known.
‘At times, I thought of my dad as a super-human. The child in me would sigh to hear that this was never actually the case.
‘My dad was a regular man who would stop at no lengths to honour the world, its people, and its creator. He loved others with every ounce of his being. That’s what made him so accessible. That’s what made him real.
‘Dikembo Mutombo was salt and light, and today, on the 30th of September, 2024, he has been called to rest. I love you, Dad. Rest easy.’
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