According to the NBA, famous former basketball player Dikembe Mutombo died this Monday at the age of 58 due to brain cancer, which he was diagnosed with two years ago.
“Dikembe Mutombo was larger than life. On the court, he was one of the best shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. “Off the court, he poured his heart and soul into helping others,” league commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
Dikembe Mutombo was larger than life
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“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues to live on in those he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life,” he said.
A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Congolese played 18 seasons in the NBA, in which he was best known for his impressive defensive prowess. Thus, Mutombo is the player with the second most blocks in NBA history with 3,289, behind only another iconic African center such as Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830).
Mutombo, during an NBA event with children in Havana in 2015.
Throughout his career in the NBA (1991–2009), he played for six teams: the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets. Mutombo was an All-Star eight times and won the Defender of the Year award four times.
After leaving professional sports, Mutombo devoted much of his time to charitable causes and social work. In October 2022, he announced that he had a brain tumor and had begun treatment.
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