NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passes away of brain cancer

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

NBA Hall of Famer and defensive legend Dikembe Mutombo has died at the age of 58, the league announced on September 30, 2024.

According to the NBA, Mutombo passed away after a battle with brain cancer which he was diagnosed with last October 2022.

Considered as one of the best defensive centers the league has ever witnessed, Mutombo inspired athletes coming from Central Africa and personified what it meant to be a humanitarian and role model to the next generation.

Mutombo was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and never dreamed of playing in the NBA after entering Georgetown University to study medicine.

However, Georgetown Hoyas’ head coach, the legendary John Thompson, saw something in Mutombo and recruited him to become their starting center.

Despite the hype surrounding around him at the NCAA basketball level, Mutombo was still able to graduate from Georgetown with a degree in Linguistics and Diplomacy.

His stardom then quickly rose when he was drafted in the NBA as the first overall pick during the 1991 Rookie Draft by the Denver Nuggets.

Mutombo immediately made an impact the moment he wore the Denver classic retro jersey and took the league by storm with his masterful shot-blocking.

Of course, Mutombo popularized the finger wag, where he would wag his finger and say ‘no’ every time he rejected a shot attempt from the opposition.

Mutombo would have a successful career in the NBA and played 18 seasons with stopovers in Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and Houston.

He was an eight-time NBA All-Star, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time NBA Blocks Leader, and a two-time NBA Rebounding Leader.

“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues 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,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.