According to NBA Score Stats, As confirmed by the NBA, Mutombo-the basketball icon, whose shot-blocking skills and an iconic finger wave after rejecting opponents at the basket are etched in memory-has died aged 58 from brain cancer.
Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer known for his exceptional defensive skills in NBA history and as a longstanding global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58 years old.
I am saddened to hear that the family revealed that he was receiving treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA released news of his passing surrounded by his family.
“Dikembe Mutombo was larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “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.”
“It is a somber day, particularly for those of us in Africa, and indeed for the global community,” said Embiid in the statement released on Monday. “I guess, apart from the amazing exploits in the basketball court, I think he could be much greater off the court. I admire him immensely for his influence- not only in the world of sports but also in the humanitarian efforts he has produced. His contributions have positively touched many lives and served as a personal role model for me. This is indeed a mournful occasion.”
Dikembe was a perfect choice to be the NBA’s first Global Ambassador; he had strong humanitarian values. He believed basketball could do more for communities, especially his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the rest of Africa.
On behalf of the entire NBA family, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Dikembe’s wife, Rose, and his children, as well as to his many friends and the global basketball community, which he really loved and which loved him back,” the statement from Silver said.
Dikembe Mutombo Off the Court
Off-court, he has proven to be committed to humanitarian work; in 1997, for instance, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to help improve education and quality of life in his native country, the DRC.
“He’s someone I admire for his impact, on and off the court. He has done so many great things and has been such a role model for me. It is just a sad day.”
In his statement during interviews with the press, 76ers star Joel Embiid said he was deeply sad, even more for us Africans and the world altogether. “More than what he has achieved on that court is what he did outside,” he emphasized regarding his death.
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