Current:Home > BackDikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer-LoTradeCoin
Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer
View Date:2024-12-24 08:04:04
Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.
His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta 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. “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 distinctive in so many ways — the playful finger wag at opponents after blocking their shots, his height, his deep and gravelly voice, his massive smile. Players of this generation were always drawn to him and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, looked to Mutombo as an inspiration.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,” Embiid said Monday. “Other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. 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. He was a role model of mine. It is a sad day.”
Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center out of Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his career.
“It’s really hard to believe,” Toronto President Masai Ujiri said Monday, pausing several times because he was overcome with emotion shortly after 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 last played during the 2008-09 season, devoting his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes. He spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in the Congo.
Mutombo served on the boards of many organizations, including 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 said. “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 four times. The others: reigning DPOY winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.
Philadelphia 76ers 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 on Monday. Tears welled in Morey’s eyes 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 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.”
___
AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Camden, New Jersey, and Associated Press writer Ian Harrison in Toronto contributed to this report.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
veryGood! (4)
Related
- 'I was in total shock': Woman wins $1 million after forgetting lotto ticket in her purse
- Travis Kelce's Chiefs Teammate Rashee Rice Reacts to His Relationship With Taylor Swift
- WHO declares new JN.1 COVID strain a variant of interest. Here's what that means.
- Octavia Spencer, Keke Palmer and More Stars Support Taraji P. Henson’s Pay Inequality Comments
- Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
- You’ll Be Charmed by Olivia Flowers’ Holiday Gift Guide Picks, Which Include a $6 Must-Have
- Octavia Spencer, Keke Palmer and More Stars Support Taraji P. Henson’s Pay Inequality Comments
- Wisconsin Republican proposal to legalize medical marijuana coming in January
- How Saturday Night Live Reacted to Donald Trump’s Win Over Kamala Harris
- Do Wind Farms Really Affect Property Values? A New Study Provides the Most Substantial Answer to Date.
Ranking
- Worker trapped under rubble after construction accident in Kentucky
- Top US military officer speaks with Chinese counterpart as US aims to warm relations with Beijing
- Myanmar’s military should be investigated for war crimes, Amnesty International says
- GM buys out nearly half of its Buick dealers across the country, who opt to not sell EVs
- Today's Craig Melvin Replacing Hoda Kotb: Everything to Know About the Beloved Anchor
- New York City’s teachers union sues Mayor Eric Adams over steep cuts to public schools
- Who are the Houthi rebels? What to know about the Yemeni militants attacking ships in the Red Sea
- 'Anyone But You': Glen Powell calls Sydney Sweeney the 'Miss Congeniality of Australia'
Recommendation
-
Brian Austin Green’s Fiancée Sharna Burgess Celebrates Megan Fox’s Pregnancy News
-
Could Colorado lose commitment from top offensive lineman? The latest on Jordan Seaton
-
Is a Schitt's Creek Reunion in the Works? Dan Levy Says...
-
Mississippi’s State Board of Education names new superintendent
-
Disney Store's Black Friday Sale Just Started: Save an Extra 20% When You Shop Early
-
GM buys out nearly half of its Buick dealers across the country, who opt to not sell EVs
-
Storm prompts evacuations, floods, water rescues in Southern California: Live updates
-
Who won 'Survivor'? What to know about the $1 million winner of Season 45