Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer renowned as one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history and a dedicated global ambassador for the sport, passed away on Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.
Two years ago, his family disclosed that he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor in Atlanta. The NBA stated he died surrounded by his loved ones.
“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 history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”
Mutombo was widely recognized for his signature finger wag after blocking shots, his towering height, deep gravelly voice, and a warm, infectious smile. Players from the current generation were particularly inspired by him, including Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who saw Mutombo as a role model.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,” Embiid remarked. “Beyond his achievements on the basketball court, he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys I look up to for his impact not just on the court but off the court. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model of mine. It is a sad day.”
During his 18 seasons in the NBA, Mutombo played for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York, and the then-New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center from Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, boasting career averages of 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
He was part of one of the league’s most iconic playoff moments, leading the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets to eliminate the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the 1994 Western Conference playoffs. It was the first time in NBA history that an eighth seed defeated a first seed.
“It’s really hard to believe,” Toronto President Masai Ujiri said, pausing several times as he was moved to tears upon hearing the news of Mutombo’s death. “It’s hard for us to be without that guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me… That guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant, an incredible person.”
Mutombo played his final season in 2008-09 and dedicated his post-retirement years to humanitarian efforts. He was fluent in nine languages and established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, focusing on improving health, education, and quality of life in Congo.
LeBron James humorously recalled a personal memory involving Mutombo: “My fondest memory of Dikembe Mutombo? He fractured my face on my birthday in Cleveland with an elbow,” James recounted. “I never even got an opportunity to tell him about that. I went to the hole and caught one of those Dikembe elbows, and if anybody knows about the Dikembe elbows, they do not feel good. He fractured my face, and I went to the hospital that night, and I wore a mask for a little bit. That is my memory of Dikembe.”
James added more context: the incident occurred on Dec. 29, 2004, late in the first half, a day before his 20th birthday. Mutombo had later told reporters he wasn’t sure how James got hurt, recounting how the collision happened while they were both going to the basket.
Ryan Mutombo, the Hall of Famer’s son, honored his father in a social media tribute, saying that his father “loved others with every ounce of his being.”
“My dad is my hero because he simply cared,” Ryan Mutombo wrote. “He remains the purest heart I have ever known.”
Mutombo served on the boards of numerous organizations such as Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
“There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador,” Silver stated. “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.”
Mutombo is one of three players to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award four times. The others are reigning DPOY winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.
“He was always there to talk to me and advise me on how to approach the season and take care of my body,” said Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. “He will always be remembered, and may his soul rest in peace.”
Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey, who shared many seasons with Mutombo in Houston, learned about his friend’s passing during the team’s media day on Monday. He was visibly emotional as he processed the news.
“There aren’t many guys like him,” Morey said. “Just a great human being. When I was a rookie GM in the league, he was someone I always turned to. His accomplishments on the court speak for themselves, but his contributions off the court in Africa were incredible. Rest in peace, Dikembe.”
