{"id":2347608,"date":"2024-09-30T14:03:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T18:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/larger-than-life-nba-legend-and-hall-of-famer-dikembe-mutombo-dies-at-age-58\/"},"modified":"2024-09-30T14:05:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T18:05:51","slug":"larger-than-life-nba-legend-and-hall-of-famer-dikembe-mutombo-dies-at-age-58","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/larger-than-life-nba-legend-and-hall-of-famer-dikembe-mutombo-dies-at-age-58\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Larger Than Life&#8217; NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo Dies at Age 58"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flarger-than-life-nba-legend-and-hall-of-famer-dikembe-mutombo-dies-at-age-58%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2347608&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Dikembe Mutombo, the renowned NBA Hall of\u2064 Famer and defensive powerhouse, passed away at the age of \u206258 due to brain cancer, as announced by the league. Mutombo, who had been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor for two years, was surrounded by his family when he died. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver\u200b praised Mutombo&#8217;s contributions both on and off the court, highlighting his legacy as a shot-blocking legend and a dedicated\u200c humanitarian.<\/p>\n<p>Over his 18-year \u200dcareer, Mutombo played for several teams, earning accolades such as eight-time All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.\u200b After retiring in 2009, he focused on philanthropic efforts, particularly \u2062through\u200b the Dikembe Mutombo\u200c Foundation, which aimed \u2062to improve lives in his homeland of the \u2063Democratic Republic of the Congo. His impact\u200b on the community and role \u200das a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/racial-justice-advocates-meghan-markle-prince-harry-under-fire-for-inking-deal-with-company-that-sells-skin-whitening-cream\/\" title=\"Racial Justice Advocates Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Under Fire For Inking Deal With Company That Sells \u2018Skin Whitening\u2019 Cream\">global ambassador<\/a> for the NBA\u2063 were emphasized\u200c by many who knew him, including current players who cited him as a significant influence in their lives.<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo&#8217;s passing has been\u200c met with profound sadness from peers and fans alike, who remember him\u2063 not only for \u2062his\u2062 basketball prowess but also for his generous spirit and commitment to uplifting others.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/child-face-tumor-undergoes-surgery-flown-nba-legend-mutombo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dikembe Mutombo<\/a>, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tom-brady-says-football-a-little-softer-than-it-used-to-be\/\" title=\"Tom Brady Says Football \u2018A Little Softer Than It Used To Be\u2019\">defensive players<\/a> in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.<\/p>\n<p>His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nba-hall-fame-player-diagnosed-brain-tumor-unexpectedly-tragic-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a brain tumor<\/a>. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,&rdquo; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. &ldquo;On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo was distinctive in so many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mediaite-pod-fails-to-challenge-whca-presidents-race-baiting-hoax\/\" title=\"Mediaite Pod Fails To Challenge WHCA President&#039;s Race-Baiting Hoax\">ways &#038;mdash<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/g7SdhtxuJYA?feature=d\">the playful finger wag at opponents<\/a> after blocking their shots, his height, his deep and gravelly voice, his massive smile. Players of this generation were always drawn to him and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, looked to Mutombo as an inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,&rdquo; Embiid said Monday. &ldquo;Other than what he&rsquo;s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He&rsquo;s one of the guys that I look up to, as far as having an impact, not just on the court, but off the court.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was a role model of mine. It is a sad day.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center out of Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his career.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really hard to believe,&rdquo; Toronto President Masai Ujiri said Monday, pausing several times because he was overcome with emotion shortly after hearing the news of Mutombo&rsquo;s death. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard for us to be without that guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. &hellip; That guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant, an incredible person.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo last played during the 2008-09 season, devoting his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes. He spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in the Congo.<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo served on the boards of many organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA&rsquo;s first Global Ambassador,&rdquo; Silver said. &ldquo;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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo is one of three players to win the NBA&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year four times. The others: reigning DPOY winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.<\/p>\n<p>Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey &mdash; who was with Mutombo for many seasons in Houston &mdash; was informed of his friend&rsquo;s death during the team&rsquo;s media day on Monday. Tears welled in Morey&rsquo;s eyes as he processed the news.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t many guys like him,&rdquo; Morey said. &ldquo;Just a great human being. When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to all the time. &hellip; His accomplishments on the court, we don&rsquo;t need to talk about too much. Just an amazing human being, what he did off the court for Africa.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Rest in peace, Dikembe.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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He was 58 years old. His family disclosed two years prior that he was receiving treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA stated he died surrounded by loved ones. &#8220;Dikembe Mutombo was truly larger than life,&#8221; said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. &#8220;On the court, he was among the best shot blockers and defenders in NBA history. Off the court, he devoted himself to helping others.&#8221; Mutombo stood out in many ways\u2014his signature finger wag after blocking shots, his towering height, deep voice, and infectious smile endeared him to players across generations; Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid looked up to him as an inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a sad day for us Africans and indeed for everyone,&#8221; Embiid expressed on Monday. &#8220;Beyond his basketball achievements, I believe he made an even greater impact off the court. He has done remarkable things for many people.&#8221; Mutombo played 18 seasons in the NBA with teams including Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York City and New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center from Georgetown earned eight All-Star selections and three All-NBA honors before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 with career averages of 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n<p>Toronto President Masai Ujiri shared his disbelief upon hearing about Mutombo&#8217;s passing: &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to imagine life without him; you can&#8217;t fathom what Dikembe meant to me&#8230; He is a giant\u2014an incredible person.&#8221; After retiring following the 2008-09 season, Mutombo focused on charitable work; he spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 aimed at enhancing health care and education in Congo.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He was uniquely qualified as the NBA&#8217;s first Global Ambassador,&#8221; Silver remarked further about him being a humanitarian who valued basketball&#8217;s potential positive influence on communities throughout Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Mutombo is one of only three players to win four Defensive Player of Year awards alongside Rudy Gobert and Ben Wallace.<\/p>\n<p>Philadelphia president Daryl Morey learned about his friend&#8217;s death during media day on Monday; tears filled his eyes as he reflected: \u201cThere aren\u2019t many like him\u2014a truly great human being.\u201d Morey recalled how when starting out as GM with Houston he&#8217;d often seek advice from Mutombo: \u201cHis accomplishments are well-known but what he&#8217;s done off-court for Africa is remarkable.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Rest peacefully now,Dikembe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2347609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/374a29577f0c47919300527443d9a65e-scaled-e1727712294803.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[42008,42010,42009,34619],"class_list":["post-2347608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-dikembe-mutombo","tag-hall-of-famer","tag-nba-legend","tag-sports-news"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/374a29577f0c47919300527443d9a65e-scaled-e1727712294803.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2347608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2347608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2347608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2347609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2347608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2347608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2347608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}