Basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo has died aged 58, the NBA announced on Sunday, after a battle with cancer of the brain – the same condition that killed his brother. Former Democratic Republic of Congo star Mutombo, a 7ft 2in center and eight-time NBA All-Star who was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, was an iconic shot-blocker for 18 seasons of the US league, as well as starring in the 1996 Olympics. Off the court, Mutombo was an avid humanitarian who lived to improve lives through the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation. Mutombo was surrounded by loved ones when he died.
A Storied Career
Mutombo’s prowess on the basketball court came from his ability as a defensive force. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, and led the NBA in blocks for five consecutive seasons, eventually retiring second all-time in blocked shots. After initially arriving in the US Georgetown University on an academic scholarship, Mutombo immediately became part of the university’s basketball program and was drafted fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft. He later played for several other teams, such as the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets.
Off the Court
Mutombo’s influence went well beyond basketball, too. In 1997 he established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve education and healthcare in the Democratic Republic of Congo where Dikembe was born. He was a world-famous humanitarian, and he was widely known for using his celebrity to highlight the problems facing Africa. In 2022, the NBA reported that Mutombo was being treated for a brain tumour in Atlanta.
Tributes from the NBA Community
The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: ‘Dikembe was larger than life. On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Off the floor, he gave his heart to others, becoming the first Global Ambassador for the NBA where his compassion and generosity uplifted communities around the world.’
The infectious personality of a man with a voice that bounced off gym rafters, an unforgettable smile and who would give that finger-pointing no-no after a blocked shot made him adored by NBA generations. Basketball fans took notice of Mutombo. ‘There aren’t many guys like him,’ said Sixers general manager Daryl Morey, who was with the NBA’s Houston Rockets from 1998 to 2004. ‘Just a great human being.’ ‘He was really well liked and really good at it,’ Morey added, referring to Mutombo’s humanitarian work.
Mutombo’s legacy on and off the court as a player and humanitarian will live on in the basketball world and far beyond.
