Dikembe Mutombo played in the NBA for almost two decades and left his mark on the league. After his playing career, he served as an ambassador for the most famous basketball league. His death is being widely mourned.
NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo is dead. The 2.18-meter-tall member of the Basketball Hall of Fame was 58 years old. As the NBA announced, he died of a brain tumor surrounded by his family. Mutombo played in the NBA from 1991 to 2009 and was a dominant figure for a long time.
“This hurts a lot,” wrote former German NBA star Detlef Schrempf (61) on X. ”I spent many All-Star weekends with Dikembe at various events. He was a good man who made a difference.”
Mutombo started out in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets, and he also played for the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the New York Knicks before joining the Houston Rockets, where he played from 2004 to 2009.
He was named to the NBA All-Star team eight times and twice named Defensive Player of the Year. In 2015, Mutombo was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His index finger became legendary when he blocked an opponent during an attack and said, “Not in my house.”
After his career ended, Mutombo devoted himself to charitable and humanitarian causes. The former professional, who is said to have spoken nine languages, also set up a foundation. Two years ago, his family announced that he had a brain tumor.
“Dikembe Mutombo was larger than life,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the death of the former professional, praising him as one of the best defensive players in NBA history. ‘Off the court, he put his heart and soul into helping others.’