Basketball Hall of Famer, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and 8-time NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo is dead at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer. The tragic news about the larger-than-life big man was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, shocking the basketball world with a devastating bombshell on Monday morning.
A native of the Republic of Congo, Mutombo turned in one of the finest careers in NBA history. He was a defensive ace for every team he played for, a prolific shot-blocker who amusingly made light of his highlight plays with an iconic “finger wag” celebration.
The finest team moment of Mutombo’s illustrious career might have been when he led the 1994 Denver Nuggets — the No. 8 seed in those Western Conference playoffs — to a stunning upset of the No. 1 Seattle Supersonics.
Mutombo was an incredible professional basketball player but an even better person. He was seemingly wearing a smile from ear to ear any time anyone saw him in public, bringing sheer, unbridled joy into any room he walked into. More importantly, Mutombo went to great lengths to use his huge platform to help improve living conditions in the Republic of Congo while also later working to improve basketball infrastructure in Africa in general.
Mutombo was a giant of the game in every imaginable way, and his loss is tremendous.
The NBA world mourned Mutombo after his death
One of my favorite Dikembe Mutombo moments was him continuously going back and forth with MJ pic.twitter.com/O3UKasLbMu
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) September 30, 2024
every story you ever heard about dikembe mutombo was the best story you ever heard
one of the all time great humans https://t.co/5VyeHwYxNn
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) September 30, 2024
April 9, 1997
Dikembe Mutombo has Clarence Weatherspoon in hell with three straight blocks and then hitting him with the finger wag.
Rest in a peace to a literal giant of basketball. pic.twitter.com/Z2uVvD00Ia
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) September 30, 2024
Daryl Morey got emotional as he talked about Dikembe Mutombo. He found out about Mutombo's death during the press conference. They had a close relationship, he said, from their time in Houston.
"Just a great human being," Morey said. pic.twitter.com/0RHR0bIY0A
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) September 30, 2024
Stephen A. Smith reacts to the breaking news that Dikembe Mutombo has passed away.
"He was one of the best human beings you could ever possibly meet… no matter what you know about him as a basketball player, he was an even better human being." pic.twitter.com/Twf9DEfAU6
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 30, 2024
RIP to Dikembe Mutombo, who passed away at the age of 58 from brain cancer. In addition to being an NBA legend, Dikembe was one of the most beautiful and generous humans I've ever met. The great ones always leave us too soon.
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) September 30, 2024
Embiid on the passing of Dikembe Mutombo: “He was a role model of mine…It’s a sad day.” pic.twitter.com/ejC9g1U2TS
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) September 30, 2024
RIP Dikembe Mutombo
Hall of Famer, one of the greatest shot blockers ever, and a man who brought so much joy to the game of basketball. pic.twitter.com/287XzvpbZE
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) September 30, 2024
RIP Dikembe Mutombo. pic.twitter.com/0V9iT91DOI
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 30, 2024
Masai Ujiri trying to hold back emotions on the passing of his friend Dikembe Mutombo : pic.twitter.com/ks56DawTb6
— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) September 30, 2024
