On Monday, longtime NBA star and basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo died at the age of 58 due to brain cancer, the NBA announced. Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement in the wake of Mutombo’s passing.
NBA Global Ambassador and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away today at the age of 58 from brain cancer. He was surrounded by his family.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement. pic.twitter.com/fkFPaiMVD3
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 30, 2024
Mutombo, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, moved to the United States when he was 21 to attend Georgetown and was convinced by legendary coach John Thompson to join the basketball team. He was the fourth pick in the 1991 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets and went on to enjoy a decorated professional career as one of the greatest defensive players ever. The 7’2″ Mutombo suited up for six teams in 18 years and earned eight All-Star selections, four Defensive Player of the Year awards, and had his No. 55 retired by the Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. He retired in 2009 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Off the court, Mutombo was an active humanatirian during and after his basketball career. He started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 and opened a hospital in his hometown of Kinshasa in 2007. He was a member of the International Board of Directors for the Special Olympics and, as Silver mentioned above, was named the first NBA Global Ambassador.
Mutombo was a beloved figure and his legacy, from his notorious finger-wag celebration to the millions of lives changed through his charitable work, will never be forgotten.
