Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer known for his finger wag after blocking a shot during his career, has died, the NBA announced Monday. He was 58.
The league said Mutombo died after a battle with brain cancer.
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Former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo before the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 21, 2014. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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 remembered Mutombo for his charitable acts in his native Democratic Republic of Congo and across all of Africa. He was the first global ambassador for the league.
“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired thoughout his extraordinary life,” Silver added. “I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe’s big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dikembe’s wife, Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the global basketball community which he truly love and which loved him back.”
Mutombo was a premier defensive player at Georgetown and took over the center role when Patrick Ewing left for the NBA. He once blocked 12 shots in a single game. He was a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year winner and shared it with teammate Alonzo Mourning in 1991.
The Denver Nuggets selected the 7-foot-2 Mutombo with the No. 4 overall pick, and he would only get better as a defender. He would mock his opponent after blocking their shot with a finger wag. It became his signature move during his entire career.
Former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo looks on during the game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the St. John’s Red Storm at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, 2012. (Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports)
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“In the beginning, I would shake my head and tell the people, ‘Man cannot fly in the house of Mutombo.’ I felt I was a chief, I was the boss, and nobody could come into the paint unless they knocked on the door and asked permission to come in,” he told GQ in 2009.
“I felt that way for so long, and it was not so many people who dunked on Dikembe Mutombo. I don’t remember which year, but soon I felt the finger waving would be a great signature.”
Mutombo was on the Nuggets when they became the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the 1994 NBA playoffs against the Seattle SuperSonics. In another iconic moment, he hit the deck after Game 5 and held the ball over his head as he let out an incredible amount of emotion.
No matter where he was, his great defensive play continued.
He played for the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets after the Nuggets stint. He played in the NBA through the 2008-09 season.
Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal, #32, is defended by Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo, #55, at the US Airways Center in Phoenix on March 22, 2008. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Tributes poured in for Mutombo on social media.
He finished his career as an eight-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time blocks leader. He averaged 2.8 blocks during his career. He is second in most blocks all-time with 3,289.
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Mutombo was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
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