Former Philadelphia 76ers center and Naismith Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo died on Monday at the age of 58 from brain cancer.
Mutombo played in the NBA for 18 seasons, but Sixers fans will remember him as the finger-wagging defensive backbone of the last Sixers team to reach the NBA Finals in 2001.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement via the league’s PR account.
Mutombo played less than two seasons (part of 2000-01, all of 2000-2002) for the Sixers after being traded from the Atlanta Hawks, but they were memorable. Along with fellow Georgtown Hoya Allen Iverson, he helped lead the team to the NBA Finals against Shaq and Kobe’s Los Angeles Lakers in 2001, earning his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award in the process. “Mount Mutombo’s” height of 7-2 and enormous wingspan made him one of the league’s top performers best shot blockers in historywith characteristic finger wagging and a deep, rumbling “no, no, no, not in my house”, which later transitioned into one of Geico insurance company’s most memorable commercials.
Mutombo was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and off the pitch was the league’s first Global Ambassador. He has used his foundation to improve conditions and opportunities in his native DRC and beyond, including building the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, working with and through Basketball Without Borders to lend a hand establish African Basketball League.
Mutombo himself described his humanitarian work as his “calling” in life.
He has served on several boards and has served as a board member for several organizations, including Special Olympics, the National Council of the American Endowment for UNICEF, and the National Constitution Center.
The Sixers offered the team condolences and tributes from current star Joel Embiid, who highlighted Mutombo’s influence on African players in the league.
Sixers president Daryl Morey, who was an NBA rookie with the Hawks when Mutombo played there for the second time, also spoke about the impact Mutombo had on him.
ESPN First Take star Stephen A. Smith, who covered Mutombo and the Sixers for the Philadelphia Inquirer, talked about a player’s impact on and off the court.
.@stephenasmith remembers Dikembe Mutombo ❤️
“No matter what you know about him as a basketball player, he was an even better man. … One of the most beautiful, beautiful people I have ever known.” pic.twitter.com/kkofBF3wAI
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 30, 2024
Philadelphia-based media personality, academic and owner of Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, Marc Lamont Hill also shared a tribute online.
The Georgetown Club of Philadelphia’s social media account gave this reaction to the news of Mutombo’s death.
“Dikembe’s message remains clear: stand up for your community, support those less fortunate and always strive to leave the world better than you found it. It’s about unity, love and a collective effort to lift each other up.” https://t.co/q5OTe53nrE pic.twitter.com/wi9CZvH7qH
— Philadelphia 🔔 Hoyas (@PhillyHoyas) September 30, 2024
Mutombo’s son, Ryan, shared a post on his Instagram account paying tribute to his father.
Over the course of his 18-season career, Mutombo was an eight-time All-Star and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1992. Beyond the Sixers, he also played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets in upstate New York. Knicks and Houston Rockets.
