Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame center and a global ambassador for the NBA, has died at the age of 58 from brain cancer, the league announced Monday. Mutombo, who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was one of the most accomplished internationally born players in NBA history. His 3,289 blocks rank second all-time in NBA history, and he was known for his signature finger wag celebration.
Mutombo played for six teams in his illustrious career: the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. He had remarkable longevity, playing through his age-42 season in Houston in 2008-09 before eventually retiring and becoming an ambassador for the NBA in Africa. He was first reported to have a brain tumor in 2022.
His college career did not begin until the age of 21, but he quickly grew into a star at Georgetown playing under John Thompson. After three seasons with the Hoyas, the Denver Nuggets picked him No. 4 overall in the 1991 NBA Draft. He grew into a defensive star with the Nuggets and eventually the Atlanta Hawks. Between 1995 and 2021, Mutombo won four Defensive Player of the Year awards. He made eight All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams during his career. Only Hakeem Olajuwon has blocked more shots in NBA history.
Mutombo will be remembered for his distinct on-court swagger and off-court mannerisms as much as his effectiveness. His signature celebration after blocking a shot was the finger wag, shaking an index finger at the shooter who dared challenge him.
He is the subject of one of the NBA’s most famous photographs, which came at the end of Denver’s legendary upset over the Seattle Supersonics in 1994. Those Nuggets were the first No. 8 seed ever to topple a No. 1, and the series ended with Mutombo pulling in its final rebound and clutching the ball above his face as time expired with an enormous smile on his face. Mutombo blocked an NBA-record 31 shots in that series, controlling it defensively throughout all five games. “He got in our players’ heads at the very beginning and never left,” Seattle coach George Karl said.
The league was similarly effusive in praising the legendary big man on Monday.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” 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.
“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. 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 is among the most influential African-born players in the history of basketball. His impact on the game can be felt most heavily in the continent’s burgeoning basketball scene. More and more players are coming from Africa to the NBA, and a lot of that can be traced back to Mutombo.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,” 76ers star and Cameroon native Joel Embiid said of Mutombo Monday at the team’s media day. “Other than what he accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys I look up to. …He did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model of mine.”
