Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer

Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Corridor of Famer who was probably the greatest defensive gamers in NBA historical past and a longtime world ambassador for the sport, died Monday from mind most cancers, the league introduced. He was 58.

His household revealed two years in the past that he was present process therapy in Atlanta for a mind tumor. The NBA mentioned he died surrounded by his household.

“Dikembe Mutombo was merely bigger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned. “On the courtroom, he was one of many biggest shot blockers and defensive gamers within the historical past of the NBA. Off the ground, he poured his coronary heart and soul into serving to others.”

Mutombo was distinctive in so some ways — the playful finger wag at opponents after blocking their photographs, his top, his deep and gravelly voice, his large smile. Gamers of this technology had been at all times drawn to him and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, seemed to Mutombo as an inspiration.

“It’s a tragic day, particularly for us Africans, and actually the entire world,” Embiid mentioned Monday. “Apart from what he’s achieved on the basketball courtroom, I feel he was even higher off the courtroom. He’s one of many guys that I look as much as, so far as having an affect, not simply on the courtroom, however off the courtroom. He’s executed a number of nice issues. He did a number of nice issues for lots of people. He was a task mannequin of mine. It’s a unhappy day.”

Mutombo spent 18 seasons within the NBA, taking part in for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 middle out of Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA choice and went into the Corridor of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 factors and 10.3 rebounds per recreation for his profession.

“It’s actually arduous to consider,” Toronto President Masai Ujiri mentioned Monday, pausing a number of occasions as a result of he was overcome with emotion shortly after listening to the information of Mutombo’s demise. “It’s arduous for us to be with out that man. You don’t have any thought what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. … That man, he made us who we’re. That man is a huge, an unbelievable individual.”

Mutombo final performed in the course of the 2008-09 season, devoting his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes. He spoke 9 languages and based the Dikembe Mutombo Basis in 1997, concentrating on enhancing well being, training and high quality of life for the folks within the Congo.

Mutombo served on the boards of many organizations, together with Particular Olympics Worldwide, the CDC Basis and the Nationwide Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

“There was no one extra certified than Dikembe to function the NBA’s first International Ambassador,” Silver mentioned. “He was a humanitarian at his core. He beloved what the sport of basketball may do to make a optimistic affect on communities, particularly in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and throughout the continent of Africa.”

Mutombo is one in all three gamers to win the NBA’s Defensive Participant of the Yr 4 occasions. The others: reigning DPOY winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Corridor of Famer Ben Wallace.

Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey — who was with Mutombo for a lot of seasons in Houston — was knowledgeable of his buddy’s demise in the course of the crew’s media day on Monday. Tears welled in Morey’s eyes as he processed the information.

“There aren’t many guys like him,” Morey mentioned. “Only a nice human being. Once I was a rookie GM on this league, my first likelihood in Houston, he was somebody I went to on a regular basis. … His accomplishments on the courtroom, we don’t want to speak about an excessive amount of. Simply a tremendous human being, what he did off the courtroom for Africa. Relaxation in peace, Dikembe.”

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AP Sports activities Author Dan Gelston in Camden, New Jersey, and Related Press author Ian Harrison in Toronto contributed to this report.

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