NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died, aged 58. While Mutombo was known for his on-court defensive heroics. He used his platform to make a significant humanitarian impact off the court.
Basketball career
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mutombo moved to Washington D.C. to pursue college basketball at Georgetown University.
In 1991, the Denver Nuggets drafted the 2.18m tall centre into the NBA. It was the start of an NBA career that spanned 18 years and six franchises.
During that time, Mutombo became known as one of the top defensive players in the league. Mutombo was an eight-time all-star and was named Defensive Player of the Year on four occasions.
He recorded 3,289 blocks during his career, a figure beaten only by record-holder Hakeem Olajuwon.
Mutumbo was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2015. Both the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks retired his No.55 jersey.
Humanitarian work
Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997.
The foundation aims to improve the quality of life for people in the DRC. That year, he donated $US15 million to open a hospital in Congo’s capital city of Kinshasa.
More recently, the foundation opened an institute for science and entrepreneurship in the DRC.
He was named the NBA’s first global ambassador in 2009, and helped launch NBA Africa. This is a basketball development and educational program for aspiring African players.
What they said
In a statement overnight, the NBA confirmed Dikembe Mutombo died “surrounded by his family,” on Monday. The 58-year-old began treatment for a brain tumour in 2022.
Current NBA player and 76ers star Joel Embiid said, “It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans and really the whole world, because other than what (he) accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court,”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described Mutombo as “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”
A statement from Mutombo’s former team, the Denver Nuggets, described him as “one of the most unique and beloved players to ever step foot on a basketball court”.
