Dikembe Mutombo NBA Death – Former basketball superstar Dikembe Mutombo has passed away after suffering from brain cancer. His death was announced through a social media post which reads:
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.
The 58-year-old Mutombo hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has been a Global Ambassador for the National Basketball Association for years — he was the first person ever given the title in 2009.
During his long career, Mutombo played as a center for six teams including the Denver Nuggets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks and the then-New Jersey Nets.
“We know he will approach this challenge with the same determination and grit that have made him a legend on and off the court,” the Atlanta Hawks wrote on Twitter. Mutombo, an eight-time NBA All-Star, is second all-time in the league for blocked shots with 3,289, behind Nigeria’s Hakeem Olajuwon.
He was also the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year four times — in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. He’s one of only two players ever to achieve this.
Mutombo and Olajuwon were the first major basketball talents from Africa to make a name in the NBA, opening the door for others such as Gorguy Dieng, Serge Ibaka and Joel Embiid.