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Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo dies of brain cancer at age 58

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Dikembe Mutombo
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Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo dies of brain cancer at age 58​


Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame, finger-wagging center who spent much of his post-basketball career as an ambassador for the sport, has died of brain cancer at the age of 58, the NBA announced Monday. Mutombo's family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family. "Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "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.

The 7-foot-2 Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, then-New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets before retiring after the 2008-09 season. The Georgetown center was the league's top defensive player four times, earned three All-NBA selections and played in eight All-Star Games. He ranks 20th in rebounds (12,359) and finished with 3,289 blocks, second to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830). He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds for his career. His No. 55 jersey is retired by both the Nuggets and the Hawks.

Following his playing career, he worked extensively for charitable and humanitarian causes. He served as an ambassador for the sport, particularly in the development of the Basketball Africa League. Mutombo spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in Congo. His foundation led the building of a 170-bed hospital in Kinshasa, the capital city, and that facility has treated nearly a half-million people regardless of their ability to pay for care.

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Dikembe Mutombo College Career

Mutombo attended Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship. He originally intended to become a doctor, but the Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John Thompson recruited him to play basketball. He spoke almost no English when he arrived at Georgetown and studied in the ESL program. During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a game. Building on the shot-blocking power of Mutombo and teammate Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown fans created a "Rejection Row" section under the basket, adding a big silhouette of an outstretched hand to a banner for each shot blocked during the game. Mutombo was named the Big East Defensive Player of the year twice, in 1990 (shared with Mourning) and in 1991. At Georgetown, Mutombo's international background and interests stood out. Like many other Washington-area college students, he served as a summer intern, once for the Congress of the United States and once for the World Bank. In 1991, he graduated with bachelor's degrees in linguistics and diplomacy.

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Rob Schneider slammed for insensitive post about Dikembe Mutombo’s death​

Actor Rob Schneider has been criticized for his bizarre and insensitive COVID-themed post after the NBA announced the death of Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo on Monday at the age of 58 following a battle with brain cancer. Schneider dug up a 2021 tweet from Mutombo calling for individuals to be vaccinated during the pandemic and quote tweeted an anti-vaccination message while somehow insinuating the vaccination played a role in Mutombo’s death. “Rest in Peace… I’m sure this is just (another) coincidence,” Schenider tweeted. “But I took a pass on the Jab and I’m gonna not let anyone I know (and who will Listen) get it either!” Schneider is vocal about his stance on vaccinations and the sort on his X page, but it’s unclear why he used the beloved big man’s death as a reason to tweet anti-vaccination points.

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Dikembe Mutombo Believed in the American Idea
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, and came to study in the United States in 1987 on an academic scholarship. Only in his second year at Georgetown University, where he majored in linguistics and diplomacy, did the 7-foot-2 Mutombo join the basketball team.
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The humanitarian and NBA legend was grateful for the freedom he enjoyed, and understood the obligations that came with it.

Dikembo Mutombo: Family releases statement, planning celebration of life with NBA
The family wanted to specifically thank Mutombo’s team of doctors at Piedmont Brain Tumor Center and Shepherd Rehab Hospital along with his homecare nurses. Mutombo’s family will have a small private funeral for family this week. They are working with NBA officials to host a larger celebration of life service at a later date. The family asks that donations be made to the Dikembe Mutombo Memorial Fund, which supports his favorite causes.
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Known for his infamous finger-wagging after blocking shots, Mutombo made eight All-Star games and was named the Defensive Player of the Year four times in his career. In addition to his success on the court, Mutombo was widely known as a humanitarian.
 
Dikembe Mutombo Professional Career

Denver Nuggets (1991–1996)
Atlanta Hawks (1996–2001)
Philadelphia 76ers (2001–2002)
New Jersey Nets (2002–2003)
New York Knicks (2003–2004)
Houston Rockets (2004–2009)

In the 1991 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets selected Mutombo with the fourth overall pick. The Nuggets ranked last in the NBA in opponent points-per-game and Defensive Rating and Mutombo's shot-blocking ability made an immediate impression across the league. He developed his signature move, in which he would celebrate every blocked shot by pointing his right index finger at the opposing player and moving it side to side. in 1992 as a way to become more marketable and gain product-endorsement contracts. That year, Mutombo starred in an Adidas advertisement that used the catchphrase "Man does not fly ... in the house of Mutombo", a reference to his prolific shot-blocking. As a rookie, Mutombo was selected for the All-Star team and averaged 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game. Mutombo quickly began to establish himself as one of the league's best defensive players, regularly putting up big rebound and block numbers.

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Dikembe Mutombo Early Life

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Leopoldville, Democratic Republic of the Congo to Samuel and Biamba Marie Mutombo. Dikembe had 9 siblings.Mutombo#cite.His father worked as a school principal and then in Congo's department of education.Dikembe spoke French, Spanish, Portuguess and five Central African languages including Lingala and Tshiluba..Mutombo#cite_note. He was a member of the Luba ethnic group. For high school, Dikembe Mutombo went to Boston College in Kinshasa to lay the groundwork for his medical career as the classes were more challenging there. He played football and participated in martial arts. At about 16, Mutombo decided to concentrate on his basketball career at the encouragement of his father and brother due to his height. Dikembe_Mutombo#cite_note-britannica-7" He moved to the United States in 1987 at the age of 21 to enroll in college.

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Nuggets honor Mutombo with video tribute, 55-second salute​

There was a video tribute celebrating Dikembe Mutombo's big accomplishments on and off the court. Then Denver Nuggets fans stood and applauded for 55 seconds -- his number. The late Mutombo was remembered by the franchise in the first quarter of the season opener Thursday night against Oklahoma City. Denver players and coaches showed their respect, too, by wearing T-shirts emblazoned with an image of the big man's iconic finger wag. Mutombo, the basketball Hall of Famer known for his enormous smile and heart, unmistakable voice and, of course, that finger wag, died last month of brain cancer. He was 58.

Mutombo helped the Nuggets become the first No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs, when they knocked off Seattle in 1994 in a best-of-five series. It was not only an indelible moment in Nuggets lore but an endearing image -- Mutombo on the floor when the horn sounded, flat on his back, holding the ball over his head with a beaming smile. More than hoops, he was known for his generosity. He built a hospital in the Congo and that facility -- named for his mother -- has treated around 200,000 people. He's worked on behalf of the Special Olympics, UNICEF, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

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NBA fans call out TNT for disrespectful move during Dikembe Mutombo tribute

TNT Sports has been criticized for showing a Kia ad while talking about the death of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo passed away at the age of 58 from brain caner in Sept. and he was being honored by Stan Van Gundy during the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game. Mutombo was a former player of Van Gundy's brother, Jeff, at the Houston Rockets.

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Dikembe Mutombo Humanitarian Work

Dikembe Mutombo was a well-known humanitarian. He created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997. His work earned him the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009. For his feats, Sporting News named him as one of the "Good Guys in Sports" in 1999 and 2000. In 1999, he was selected as one of 20 winners of the President's Service Awards, the nation's highest honor for volunteer service. In 2004, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders NBA program, where NBA stars such as Shawn Bradley, Malik Rose and DeSagana Diop toured Africa to spread the word about basketball and to improve the infrastructure. He paid for uniforms and expenses for the Zaire women's basketball team during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. Mutombo was a spokesman for the international relief agency, CARE and was the first youth emissary for the United Nations Development Program.

Honoring his humanitarianism, Mutombo was invited to President Geoege W. Bush's 2017 State of the Union Address, where the president said "We are proud to call this son of the Congo a citizen of the United States of America". Mutombo said, "My heart was full of joy. I didn't know the President was going to say such great remarks." Mutombo was awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater Georgetown University in 2010. He also received an honorary doctorate from Haverford College in May 2011. In November 2015, the National Collegiate Athlectic Association (NCAA) announced Mutombo as a recipient of its Silver Anniversary Awards for 2016. The announcement cited both his basketball career an extensive humanitarian work. In 2021, he created an eponymous coffee company, initially focused on the Congo to foster women growers' participation in international commerce. Mutombo became a naturalized American citizen in 2006.

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After tough funeral, Charles Barkley's eulogy for late NBA legend stirs heavy emotions
It’s been over a month since the NBA world said a sorrowful goodbye to one of its most beloved figures, Dikembe Mutombo. His impact on basketball and humanitarian work left a lasting mark on many he personally inspired, including NBA icon Charles Barkley. With former President Barack Obama’s words, “…inspired a generation of young people…” echoing the tremendous loss, the NBA community still grieves. Barkley one among them.

Vidakovich column: The Mutombo drumble
Mutombo’s tenure as a Nugget.
 
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