BY LISA MESIONA
NBA LEGEND Dikembe Mutombo has passed away at the age of 58 due to brain cancer, the NBA announced on Monday.
Prior to his death, Mutombo had been undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor in 2022.
Mutombo was known for his defensive prowess, being named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for 4 times and in the NBA All-Defensive Team for 6 times. He holds the second most blocks in NBA History at 3,289. He also led the league in blocks for 3 consecutive seasons. He is famous for his signature finger wag celebration after every block.
A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo was the first Global Ambassador of the NBA. After retiring from basketball, he focused on humanitarian work for which he earned the NBA J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009.
The NBA has expressed condolences on the passing of Mutombo this Monday. “Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
Mutombo was drafted fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in 1991. His career spanned 19 years playing the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
