Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame center whose playful finger-wags after blocking shots — which he did 3,289 times in his career — has died at the age of 58 due to brain cancer, the NBA announced.
Mutombo died surrounded by his family, according to the league. His family had announced a couple of years ago that the legendary Congolese big man had a brain tumor.
Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons but made a bigger and more meaningful impact off the court, where he had worked tirelessly for years to help people back in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He built hospitals and schools in the country and was a frequent visitor, bringing NBA players and commissioner Adam Silver along.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” Silver said in a statement. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.
“There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing first-hand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years — with his infectious smile, deep booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation.
“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe’s big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dikembe’s wife, Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the global basketball community which he truly loved and which loved him back.”
Mutombo played his college ball at Georgetown — he wanted to be a doctor — and was the fourth overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft. Mutombo would be an All-Star as a rookie and, by 1994, was helping lead the Nuggets to a stunning first-round upset of the Seattle SuperSonics.
Mutombo would become one of the greatest defensive players the NBA has ever seen, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and six-time All-Defensive player (which seems low in retrospect). Mutombo was a three-time All-NBA player and eight times an All-Star, and he led the league in blocks for three seasons.
But it was that finger wag that was not only feared around the NBA but became part of pop culture outside sports.
In his 18 NBA seasons, he played for the Nuggets, Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Knicks, and Rockets.
For all his impact on the court, Mutombo impacted far more lives off of it.
He used his career earnings (and endorsement money, which he made plenty of even after his retirement) to found the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, and organization dedicated to improving the lives of regular people in the DRC. He built a 170-bed hospital in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, that, since it opened in 2007, has treated more than half a million people. In recent years his focus included building schools, particularly elementary schools, in the DRC.
As a Global Ambassador for the NBA, he brought a spotlight to these issues, something other African-born players in the NBA have carried on.
For many though, what will be missed is his infectious smile and laugh — Mutombo brought joy with him wherever he went, on the court and off. That, sadly, has been taken away from us when he was far too young.
