Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away on Monday at the age of 58 from brain cancer.
Across a 20-year NBA career, the seven-footer was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year selection. The Sixers traded for Mutombo during the 2001 season, helping guide them to their first NBA Finals appearance in 18 years and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors along the way. Spending parts of two seasons in Philadelphia, Mutombo remained beloved in the area even after his Sixers days were over. That's true of the global basketball community, too.
Known for his humanitarian work as well, NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement following Mutombo's passing, stating, "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.
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."
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