Dikembe Mutombo, Towering And Charismatic NBA Hall of Famer, Has Died At 58
The eight-time All Star Center had been dealing with a brain tumor since 2022
It was a rough weekend in the acting and entertainment world, with Days of our Lives star Drake Hogestyn, Beverly Hills Cop star John Ashton, and country singer and A Star is Born and Blade star Kris Kristofferson all passing away over the weekend. It seems the one I find myself most able to carry is the latest. NBA Hall of Famer and Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo has died of brain cancer at age 58, surrounded by his family the league announced Monday. The gargantuan center with the signature post-block finger wag had been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor since at least 2022.
"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. There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA's first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing first-hand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years -- with his infectious smile, deep booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation."
The 7-foot-2 Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He did college ball at Georgetown University where he was the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year before spending 18 NBA seasons from 1991-2009 with six teams: the Denver Nuggets, who picked him fourth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, then-New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets before retiring at age 42. He averaged 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his career, where he amassed three All-NBA selections and was an eight-time All-Star. He ranks 20th in rebounds (12,359) and finished with 3,289 career blocks, second to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830) earned him his Hall of Fame induction in 2015. His No. 55 jersey was retired by the Nuggets and the Hawks.
Discussing his signature post-block gesture, a playful wag of his right index finger, which endeared him to fans all around the world and was even inspiring to others, Mutombo once explained "Any time I would block shots, people would still be coming and trying to put a little bit on me. Then I used to shake my head every time I would block the shot. Then I said, man f--- this. Those guys are not listening to me. Maybe if I start giving them the finger wag. And I tell you what, I lost a lot of money because of that finger wag, man. I got so many technical fouls, but no referee would kick me out of the game."
After retiring from play, he worked extensively for charitable and humanitarian causes, with fluency in nine languages. His first major charitable act was founding the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, which focused on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in his home country. His foundation led the building of a 170-bed hospital in Kinshasa, which has treated nearly a half-million people regardless of their ability to pay for care. He also had served on the boards of the Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and as an ambassador for the sport of basketball, particularly in the development of the Basketball Africa League, which completed its fourth season this year.
"Dikembe's indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life," Silver continues in his statement. "I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe's big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dikembe's wife, Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the global basketball community which he truly loved and which loved him back."
Mutombo has appeared in several movies and TV shows as himself, including Juwanna Mann, Like Mike, Uncle Drew and Coming 2 America, usually of course in some sort of basketball context. He’s also appeared as himself in a memorable 2013 GEICO commercial as well as the 300th episode of Family Guy, “Dog Bites Bear”, both for his blocking prowess. And yes I know I haven’t done many sports stories here, but it’s not for a lack of trying.
