NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, the 7-foot-2, finger-wagging center who was nicknamed “Mount Mutombo” for his defensive prowess, has died of brain cancer at the age of 58, the league announced Monday.
Mutombo’s family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta, Georgia, for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam 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.”
Dikembe Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons and earned eight All-Star selections and six All-Defensive honors
Mutombo moved to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to play college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas. The young standout was selected fourth overall in the 1991 draft.
He played 18 NBA seasons (1991-2009) for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, then-New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets before retiring after the 2008-09 season.
In 1,196 career NBA regular-season games (997 starts), he averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 2.8 blocks, and 30.8 minutes per contest while shooting 51.8% from the field and 68.4% at the free throw line.
The Congolese-American hooper earned eight NBA All-Star selections and six All-Defensive honors. He also won Defensive Player of the Year four times (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001).
Additionally, Mutombo ranks 20th in rebounds (12,359) and finished with 3,289 career blocks, second to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830). The Georgetown product was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 after leading the league in rebounds twice (2000, 2001) and blocks three times (1994-1996).
His No. 55 jersey is retired by both the Nuggets and the Hawks.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans — and really the whole world — because, other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court,” 76ers center Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, said Monday.
“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, so he was a role model of mine. It’s a sad day.”
Mutombo would wag his right index finger after blocking a shot
Dikembe Mutombo will be remembered for displaying a playful wag of his right index finger after blocking a shot.
“Any time I would block shots, people would still be coming and trying to put a little bit on me. Then I used to shake my head every time I would block the shot,” Mutombo once explained, according to ESPN’s report.
“Then I said, man, f—k this. Those guys are not listening to me. Maybe if I start giving them the finger wag. And I tell you what, I lost a lot of money because of that finger wag, man. I got so many technical fouls, but no referee would kick me out of the game.”
After retiring from the NBA, Mutombo collaborated with various charitable and humanitarian organizations. He served as an ambassador for the sport, particularly in the development of the Basketball Africa League.
“It’s really hard to believe, and it’s hard for us to be without that guy,” said Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri. “You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. … I have to say though, that guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant. An incredible person. Who are we without Dikembe Mutombo? Not possible. It really is not.
“I went to Dikembe Mutombo’s hometown with him. I went to his hospital, and you have no idea what that guy means to the world. He’s gone. He’s left us. … That guy was the biggest giant that you could ever find. The biggest heart.”
NBA legend founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997
Sixers president Daryl Morey, who was with Mutombo for many seasons in Houston, was informed of his friend’s death during the team’s media day Monday.
“There aren’t many guys like him,” Morey said. “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. … His accomplishments on the court, we don’t need to talk about too much. Just an amazing human being, what he did off the court for Africa. Rest in peace, Dikembe.”
Mutombo also spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997. His efforts helped to improve health, education, and quality of life for the people in Congo.
