The NBA world lost a legend on Monday, Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. He was 58 years old.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Known for his time with the Atlanta Hawks, his famous finger-wagging gesture and being one of the best defensive players in the league ever, the eight-time NBA All-Star passed away from brain cancer on Monday morning.
“No, no, no!”
On this day in 1997… Dikembe Mutombo had 3 straight blocks and broke out the finger wag. #NBAVault #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/dgOYwXuLXr
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 9, 2022
Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons for the Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, then-New Jersey Nets and Houston Rockets before he ultimately retired following the 2008-09 season.
The former Georgetown product was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA selection during his career. He is second in NBA history in blocks (3,289) and averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.8 blocks per game in 1,196 games (997 starts). Both the Nuggets and Hawks retired his No. 55.
Growing up in Washington D.C., where Georgetown is located, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant was one of many current and former players to share their condolences for the tragic death of Mutombo, someone he respected greatly.
“Rest in peace to Dikembe Mutombo, he was an iconic figure in the basketball world,” Durant said. “As I was growing up playing in the Washington D.C., Georgetown area, a lot of those big men left their mark on basketball in that area dating back to the late ’80s and earlier ’90s. Dikembe was one of those guys. To have an opportunity to play against him in the NBA and meet him at different events and to just see the type of person that he was, it reinforced that our great people walking around here – regardless of status and regardless of how successful you are – he remained true to who he was as a person.
“I appreciated that every time I saw him. My condolences go out to his family, friends, and everybody that knew him, that’s a huge loss. If you ever met Dikembe, he would just brighten up the whole room. I wasn’t even that tight with him, so I am sure there are so many people who are going through a lot of emotions right now. He meant so much to the game and rest in peace.”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo native Mutombo became a humanitarian after he retired, giving back to his country and Africa as a whole. To help improve the living conditions in the country, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation and his courageous efforts were recognized by multiple organizations like the NBA with various awards.
His impression on the league as one of the best centers in NBA history and his efforts to make Africa a better place will leave a forever-lasting legacy that will never be forgotten.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
