“… Inspired a generation of young people…” — former President Barack Obama’s words reflect the great loss the basketball community has just suffered. The Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is no longer in this world. 4 Defensive Player of the Year, 2x rebounding leader, 3x blocks leader, and his off-the-court presence, impacting several lives, dearly overshadows.

Expressing his grief on similar lines was Charles Barkley in a video shared by him on Instagram. “Tough news in NBA today. One of the greatest people. He obviously was a great basketball player, but I never met a nicer man, a humanitarian, philanthropist. Just one of the great people we’ve ever had in the NBA. This is a sad day for our NBA family,” he said.

With this, Barkley extended his support and condolences to the bereaved family. “The world is less of a better place without him. Rest in peace, big fella,” Chuck said. Mutombo was diagnosed with Brain Tumor back in 2022. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, today, revealed it to be the cause of the death.

“… 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,” Silver stated in his message of grief. Notably, not only did the Nuggets legend become the global ambassador for basketball, but often stayed involved in humanitarian works. 

Mutombo’s one of the many contributions to the society came in 1997 as he established a foundation in his name to ensure a higher quality of life for people in Congo—his place of birth. The foundation reportedly led a project for the establishment of a hospital with 170 beds in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, treating about 500,000 over the years. Touring Africa to improve the infrastructure, on the board of the Special Olympics committee, or funding Zaire women’s basketball team, Mutombo has touched lives of thousands and thousands attest. 

In 2001 and 2009, he received he NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award twice, honoring his contributions. “My inspiration in life is to improve the living condition of my people,” he had told Sports Illustrated in 2022. And to help him with that was his game of basketball. “A vehicle” he called it to get him where he wanted to go.

A right choice of ‘vehicle’ for Dikembe Mutombo

The 7’2″ player moved from Congo to Washington’s Georgetown University in 1987 on an academic scholarship. His offensive skills may have been rusty in his debut season at Georgetown, but his defensive prowess was visible with 2.3 blocks per game from the start.

By his senior year, he was averaging 15.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game for Hoyas. Subsequently, Denver Nuggets selected him with 4th overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. The fact he earned his first All-Star appearance and second spot in Rookie of the Year race speaks volumes about the impact he had with his debut.

For his first 13 straight seasons in the league, the 8x All-Star averaged double-double (rebounding/scoring). Of these 13 seasons, the first 7 included 3 or more blocks per game. Aside from the Nuggets, he also suited for the Hawks, 76ers, the then New Jersey Nets, Knicks, and Houston Rockets.

Earning multiple awards and accolades during the time, Dikembe Mutombo found his place in the Hall of Fame in 2015. Players of his potential with such commitment to off the court initiatives are rare. Certainly, the basketball community and beyond have truly suffered a great loss.