Mutombo passes away after long bout with brain cancer

Sports

DIKEMBE Mutombo, a 7-foot-2 big man who made a name for himself as an elite defender, has passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 58.

The Congolese-American basketball great died surrounded by his family, the NBA announced.

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life. 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,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

Picked fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo played for 18 seasons in the NBA. He retired from the NBA in 2009 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

He played five seasons with Denver before spending another five years with the Atlanta Hawks, followed by stints with Philadelphia, the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.

Mutombo ended his remarkable NBA career with 11,729 points (averaging 9.8 points per game), 12,359 rebounds (10.3 rebounds per game), and 3,289 blocks (2.8 blocks per game).

Mutombo was known for extensive humanitarian efforts as he worked tirelessly to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo through his personal foundation.

For his tremendous humanitarian work that included donating millions of dollars to help build a hospital on the outskirts of Kinshasa, Mutombo earned multiple humanitarian accolades including the US President’s Volunteer Service Award.

“He was a humanitarian at his core,” said Silver, who often traveled alongside Mutombo in his work as the NBA’s Global Ambassador. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of Congo and across the continent of Africa,” Silver said.(CCM)