'Larger than life' Mutombo dies of brain cancer

Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame, finger-wagging center who spent much of his post-basketball career as an ambassador for the sport, has died of brain cancer at age 58, the NBA announced Monday.

Mutombo's family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.

“Dikembe Mutombo was larger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “On the court, he was one of the best shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. On the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.

“No one was more qualified to serve as the NBA's first global ambassador than DiKambe. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to positively impact communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and all of Africa. I had the opportunity to travel with DeCambe across the continent and see how his kindness and compassion uplifted people — his contagious laugh, deep soulful voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to every generation of basketball fans.”

The 7-foot-2 Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, then-New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets before retiring after the 2008-09 season.

The Georgetown product was the league's top defensive player four times, earned three All-NBA selections and played in eight All-Star games. He ranked 20th in rebounds (12,359) and finished with 3,289 career blocks, second only to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830).

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds for his career.

“It's a sad day, especially for us Africans … and really for the whole world because, aside from what he accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court,” Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid said Monday. “… He did a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people, so he was a role model of mine.”

Mutombo followed most blocks with a playful flick of his right index finger, a gesture that became his enduring signature and inspired many others after him.

“Every time I blocked a shot, people would still come and try to push me a little bit. Then every time I blocked the shot I would shake my head,” Mutombo once explained. “Then I said, man, f— this. Those guys aren't listening to me. If I start snapping their fingers. And I'm telling you, I've lost a lot of money because of that finger snapping. I've had a lot of technical fouls, but No referee will throw me out.”

Following his playing career, he worked extensively in charitable and humanitarian causes. He has worked as an ambassador for sports, particularly in the development of the Basketball Africa League.

“It's really hard to believe and it's hard for us to be without that guy,” said a tearful Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri. “You don't know what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. … Although I have to say, that man, he made us who we are. That man is a giant. An incredible person. Who are we without Dikembe Mutombo? Not possible, not really. .

“I went with him to Dikembe Mutombo's hometown. I went to his hospital, and you don't know what the man meant to the world. He's gone. He's left us. … That man was the biggest giant you could ever find. The biggest heart.”

Mutombo speaks nine languages ​​and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, focusing on improving health, education and living standards for the people of the Congo. His foundation spearheaded the construction of a 170-bed hospital in the capital city of Kinshasa, and the facility has treated nearly half a million people regardless of their ability to pay for care.

He also served on the boards of many organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the US Fund for UNICEF.

“DeCambe's indomitable spirit lives on in those he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life,” Silver said in his statement. “I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by DeKambé's big heart, and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, my deepest condolences go out to DeKambé's wife, Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the worldwide basketball community that he truly loved. loved and which loved him back.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.