Dikembe Mutombo, NBA legend and Hall of Famer, dies of brain cancer at 58

The NBA announced on Monday that Hall of Famer, humanitarian, and legendary shot blocker Dikembe Mutombo has died at 58. The cause of death was brain cancer, which he was diagnosed with back in Oct. 2022. Mutombo was surrounded by his family when he passed.

Mutombo, originally from Democratic Republic of the Congo, became one of the best defensive players of all time over his 18-year career. He played for six teams total, but spent most of his time with the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, and Houston Rockets. (He spent one-plus seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and one season each with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks.) He was an eight-time All-Star and a four-time defensive player of the year. He led the NBA in blocks in 1994, 1995, and 1996, and led the league in rebounds in 2000 and 2001. Both the Hawks and Nuggets have retired his number, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Born Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacque Wamutombo in 1966, he had originally planned to become a doctor and intended to study medicine at Georgetown before he was recruited to play basketball by legendary coach John Thompson. He earned degrees in linguistics and diplomacy in 1991, but with the Nuggets drafting him with the fourth overall pick, there was no question his future was in basketball and not international relations.

Of course, you can’t talk about Mutombo without mentioning the finger wag. The famous “no, no, no” finger wag that Mutombo would break out when he would execute a particularly savage block.

The finger wag became bigger than life, and Mutombo on board it. He did it in photos, he did it on the red carpet, he did it in commercials. It became part of who he was, and just like life itself, he embraced it.

Following Mutombo’s retirement from the NBA in 2009, he focused on philanthropy and humanitarianism, wanting to give back to his home country and the entire continent of Africa. He created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 (12 years before he’d retire) to improve living conditions in the DRC, and received numerous awards from the NBA and other organizations for his work in Africa to improve conditions and reduce the spread of polio.

Commissioner Adam Silver, who named Mutombo the first NBA Global Ambassador, released a statement about his friend’s death.

Mutombo is survived by his wife, Rose, their three children, and four children of Rose’s deceased brothers they adopted in 1996.