Former Congolese basketball player Dikembe Mutombo, who played nineteen seasons in the NBA, died at the age of 58 from brain cancer, the North American Basketball League announced on Monday, September 30. in a press release broadcast on X.
A very tall pivot – 2.18 meters – he was an eight-time All-Star (an annual match between the best players in the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences) in the 1990s and 2000s, especially for his defensive qualities. He was voted defender of the year four times, best blocker three times and best rebounder twice.
Dikembe Mutombo had gotten into the habit, after each counter, to move one’s index finger in the air saying “no no no, not in my house” (“no no no, none of that at home”), as if to say that it was unthinkable to score a basket in front of him. A gesture that the NBA ultimately banned after judging that it was a form of mockery.
Born in Kinshasa and arrived in the United States at 21, Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques wa Mutombo – his full name – played two NBA finals, in 2001 with the Philadelphia Sixers against the Lakers and in 2003 with the New Jersey Nets against the San Antonio Spurs, but never won the title.
Recognized for his humanitarian work
“Mount Mutombo” wore the jersey of several NBA franchises (Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, etc.) during a journey that began in 1991 and ended in 2009 at the age 43 years old.
Dikembe Mutombo’s son, Ryan, paid tribute on Instagram (his account is private) to a “hero” Who “simply cared about others”. “He loved others with all his being. That’s what made it so accessible. That’s what made it real.”he added. Dikembe Mutombo was recognized for his numerous charitable involvements. In particular, in 2015, he financed the construction of a hospital in the suburbs of Kinshasa.
In a statement posted to X, NBA landmark Michael Jordan said “deeply saddened” by the death of Dikembe Mutombo, a player “who changed the way basketball is played” and who has ” Above all (…) changed the world and improved countless lives through his humanitarian work in Africa”. “It’s a sad day, for the whole world and even more so for us Africanssaid center Joel Embiid, star of Philadelphia. He was one of my role models, for his impact on and off the field. He accomplished many good things. » “Dikembe Mutombo, on the court, was one of the greatest defenders and blockers in NBA history. Off the field, he devoted his heart and soul to helping others”underlined NBA boss Adam Silver in a press release.