Hall of Fame basketball player Dikembe Mutombo dies at 58

(Gray News/AP) – Hall of Fame basketball player Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer.

He was 58 years old.

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement posted on X. “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.”

According to the NBA, Mutombo was surrounded by his family when he died.

The NBA revealed two years ago he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor.

Mutombo, one of the best defensive players in NBA history, spent 18 seasons in the organization playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets.

The 7-foot-2 center out of Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, four-time defensive player of the year, three-time All-NBA selection and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his career.

Mutombo last played during the 2008-09 season, devoting his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes.

He spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for people in the Congo.

“There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador,” Silver said. “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.”

Copyright 2024 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.