Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
RIP Dikembe Mutombo, 1966-2024
NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo passed away from a battle with brain cancer on Monday afternoon. He was 58 years old.
Mutombo is one of the best defensive players in NBA history. Known for his iconic finger wave after rejecting opponents, Mutombo is second all-time in blocked shots with 3,289. He was a 4x Defensive Player of the Year, a six-time All-Defense selection, a 3-time All-NBA selection, and an 8-time NBA All-Star.
Mutombo came to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo when he enrolled at Georgetown. He played alongside Alonzo Mourning with the Hoyas, forming one of the greatest college front lines in the history of the sport. He was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. He spent the first five seasons of his career in Denver, and helped the team pull off the first No. 8 seed over No. 1 seed upset ever in the NBA Playoffs when the Nuggets shocked the Seattle Supersonics in the 1994 playoffs.
Mutombo lying on the floor screaming with the ball in his hands after Denver’s decisive Game 5 victory is one of the most indelible NBA moments of the ‘90s.
Mutombo’s No. 55 is retired by the Nuggets and Hawks. He leaves behind an even more enormous legacy off the court.
Mutombo is one of the great humanitarians in sports history, using his influence and money to provide aid in Africa, especially in Congo. He started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in Congo. He was given the President’s Service Award in the United States in 2000 by Bill Clinton, and was recognized for his humanitarian work in George W. Bush’s State of the Union address in 2007.
Mutombo’s biggest legacy is Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, which he fought to create in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa. Mutombo spent a decade raising funds and contributing his own money for the opening of the first modern medical facility in the area. It opened in 2007, and treated more than one million people in its first 15 years.
As we celebrate 15th anniversary of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital. We want to thank all of the people who have helped us along this journey. There have been more then 1 million people who had been treated at the Hospital. Who can refuse God’s mission in your life? pic.twitter.com/chIKnVzaSj
— Dikembe Mutombo (@officialmutombo) July 17, 2022
Tributes for Mutombo will continue pouring in from around the world. His impact will be felt for generations.
Here are some early comments from Joel Embiid, Masai Ujiri, and others:
Dikembe has impacted hundreds of players with his ability on the court but hundreds of thousands and generations of people from the Congo with his humanitarian efforts, time and love for improving the human condition for people. Strength is service to others and no finer example.
— Brent Barry (@Barryathree) September 30, 2024
I was very sad to hear about Dikembe Mutombo’s passing. Dikembe was not only great on the court, but a force for good off it, admired and loved by those who got to know him. His smile, his values and his dedication to basketball, as well as to helping others, will never be… pic.twitter.com/KZaOSAXVGE
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) September 30, 2024
Just a quick story. Dikembe’s mother died during wartime in the Congo when she couldn’t get to a hospital in time because an ambulance was unavailable. Plus, she could have been arrested due to the climate. Dikembe’s response to that tragedy? He built a hospital in his hometown.
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) September 30, 2024
Here are some highlights from Mutombo’s fantastic playing career:
RIP, Dikembe Mutombo. The world is a better place because of him.
