Dikembe Mutumbo Tributes Pour in as Hall of Fame NBA Star Dies

Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was known for his defensive prowess, died Monday from brain cancer aged 58, according to an announcement from the NBA.

Soon after the news broke about his passing, fond tributes to Mutombo from around the league were shared.

Pau Gasol, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last year, remembered the native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a “force for good.”

“I was very sad to hear about Dikembe Mutombo’s passing. Dikembe was not only great on the court, but a force for good off it, admired and loved by those who got to know him,” Gasol wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “His smile, his values and his dedication to basketball, as well as to helping others, will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with his family and his loved ones at this very difficult time. May he rest in peace.”

Mutombo began treatment for a brain tumor two years ago, according to this family, and the NBA on Monday said his family surrounded him as he died.

During his 18-year career, the 7-foot-2-inch Mutombo became known on the court for wagging his finger playfully at opposing players after blocking their shots. He later used the gesture for comedic effect in a popular ad for GEICO.

“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,” Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, said on Monday. “Other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He’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. He’s done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model of mine. It is a sad day.”

“It’s really hard to believe,” Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said during a Monday news conference. “It’s hard for us to be without that guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me…That guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant, an incredible person.”

“He was always there to talk to me and advise me on how to approach the season and take care of my body and icing after games and stretching and trying different things like yoga,” Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said, according to The Associated Press. “He will be always remembered and may his soul rest in peace.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said 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,” Silver said in a statement. “Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”

Mutombo retired from the NBA after the 2008-09 season. In 1997, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve the quality of life for the people in the Congo. He also served on the boards of the Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

“My dad is my hero because he simply cared,” Ryan Mutombo, the Hall of Famer’s son, wrote on Instagram. “He remains the purest heart I have ever known.”

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.