Dikembe Mutombo, the shot-blocking specialist who Corridor of Fame profession included being named NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr 4 instances over 18 seasons and was an envoy for the game after his retirement, has died. He was 58.
The NBA mentioned at this time that he died of mind most cancers in Atlanta however didn’t give every other particulars. He had been recognized in 2022.
“Dikembe Mutombo was merely bigger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver mentioned in an announcement. “On the courtroom, he was one of many biggest shot blockers and defensive gamers within the historical past of the NBA. Off the ground, he poured his coronary heart and soul into serving to others. … “There was no person extra certified than Dikembe to function the NBA’s first International Ambassador.”
The 7-foot-2 “Mount Mutombo” performed 18 seasons beginning with the Denver Nuggets, who picked him fourth general within the 1991 NBA Draft out of Georgetown College, the place he was the two-time Large East Defensive Participant of the Yr. He performed 5 seasons with the group earlier than transferring on to the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76s, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and ending with the Houston Rockets, retiring at 42 after the 2008-09 marketing campaign.
He was greatest recognized for snuffing out opponents’ photographs and following with a finger-wag gesture that grew to become his calling card. He ranks second all-time with 3,289 NBA blocks, behind solely Hakeem Olajuwon. Mutombo performed in eight All-Star Video games and was All-NBA 3 times. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2015, and his No. 55 jersey was retired by the Nuggets and the Hawks.
After retiring, Mutombo grew to become a real ambassador of the sport, engaged on humanitarian and charitable causes, typically in his native Africa. Fluent in 9 languages, he labored with such teams as UNICEF and the Particular Olympics and helped develop the Basketball Africa League.
“He was a humanitarian at his core,” Silver added in his assertion. “He cherished what the sport of basketball may do to make a constructive impression on communities, particularly in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and throughout the continent of Africa.”
Born on June 25, 1966, in Kinsasha, Mutombo additionally has a handful of appearing credit, most not too long ago enjoying himself within the 2021 Eddie Murphy sequel Coming 2 America. He additionally performed himself reverse Kyrie Irving and different present and former NBA stars within the 2018 basketball comedy Uncle Drew and appeared in 2002’s Juwanna Mann. He additionally voiced himself in a 2018 episode of Household Man.
