Dikembe Mutombo, NBA legend and Hall of Famer, dies of brain cancer at 58
The NBA announced on Monday that Hall of Famer, humanitarian, and legendary shot blocker Dikembe Mutombo has died at 58. The cause of death was brain cancer, which he was diagnosed with back in Oct. 2022. Mutombo was surrounded by his family when he passed. Mutombo, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, became one of the best defensive players of all time over his 18-year career.
Liz Roscher | September 30, 2024 at 12:57 PM
Former Atlanta Hawks' Dikembe Mutombo speaks during a halftime ceremony retiring his number at an NBA basketball game between the Hawks and the Boston Celtics Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Liz Roscher | September 30, 2024 at 12:57 PMHall of Famer, humanitarian, and legendary shot blocker Dikembe Mutombo has died at 58, the NBA announced on Monday. The cause of death was brain cancer, which he was diagnosed with in October 2022. Mutombo was surrounded by his family when he passed.
Mutombo, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, became one of the best defensive players of all time over his 18-year career. He played for six teams total but spent most of his time with the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, and Houston Rockets. (He spent one-plus seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and one season each with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks.) He was an eight-time All-Star and a four-time defensive player of the year. He led the NBA in blocks in 1994, 1995, and 1996, and led the league in rebounds in 2000 and 2001. Both the Hawks and Nuggets have retired his number, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Born Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacque Wamutombo in 1966, he had originally planned to become a doctor and intended to study medicine at Georgetown before he was recruited to play basketball by legendary coach John Thompson. He earned degrees in linguistics and diplomacy in 1991, but with the Nuggets drafting him with the fourth overall pick, there was no question his future was in basketball and not international relations.
Of course, you can't talk about Mutombo without mentioning the finger wag. Mutombo would break out the famous "no, no, no" finger wag when he would execute a particularly savage block.
The finger wag became bigger than life, and Mutombo was on board it. He did it in photos, he did it on the red carpet, he did it in commercials. It became part of who he was, and just like life itself, he embraced it.
Following Mutombo's retirement from the NBA in 2009, he focused on philanthropy and humanitarianism, wanting to give back to his home country and the entire continent of Africa. He created the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 (12 years before he'd retire) to improve living conditions in the DRC, and received numerous awards from the NBA and other organizations for his work in Africa to improve conditions and reduce the spread of polio.
Mutombo's son, Ryan, posted a touching tribute to his father on Instagram.
Commissioner Adam Silver, who named Mutombo the first NBA Global Ambassador, released a statement about his friend's death.
Dikembe 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. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.
There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA's first global ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing firsthand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years – with his infectious smile, deep, booming voice, and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation.
Dikembe's indomitable spirit continues in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by big heart, and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dick's wife, Rose, and their children: his many friends; and the global basketball community, which he truly loved and which loved him back."
Mutombo is survived by his wife, Rose, their three children, and four children of Rose's deceased brothers they adopted in 1996.
NBA names Victor Williams CEO of NBA Africa
Becoming CEO of NBA Africa is a compelling opportunity to join the NBA – a widely-respected and admired globally-oriented sports enterprise, said Williams.
NBA Communications
Official Release
NBA Communications
JOHANNESBURG AND NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today named Victor Williams CEO of NBA Africa, effective Aug. 17, 2020, it was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Williams, an accomplished investment banking executive with extensive experience growing businesses across the U.S. and Africa, will be based in the league’s Johannesburg office and report to NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.
It allows me to blend my professional experience building businesses in Africa with my passion for the sport of basketball. I look forward to working with our colleagues in Johannesburg and Dakar to help grow basketball’s commercial and social impact in Africa and on the world stage
In this newly-created role, Williams will oversee the league’s basketball and business development initiatives in Africa and will be responsible for continuing to grow the popularity of basketball and the NBA across the continent through grassroots development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, and more.
For the last five years, Williams served as the Executive Head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), Africa Regions for Standard Bank Group, where he oversaw the strategy, execution and financial performance for Standard Bank’s business with corporate, sovereign and institutional investor clients in 19 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. In this pan-continental role, Williams was responsible for growing a wide range of business lines across Africa, including global markets, investment banking, and transactional products and services, and helped lead Standard Bank’s expansion into Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
“Adding an executive of Victor’s caliber and experience is an important step in our continued efforts to grow basketball across the continent. We look forward to Victor leading NBA Africa’s operations and helping to accelerate the use of sports as an economic engine across Africa.”
Becoming CEO of NBA Africa is a compelling opportunity to join the NBA – a widely-respected and admired globally-oriented sports enterprise, said Williams. It allows me to blend my professional experience building businesses in Africa with my passion for the sport of basketball. I look forward to working with our colleagues in Johannesburg and Dakar to help grow basketball’s commercial and social impact in Africa and on the world stage.
Williams joined Standard Bank in 2011 as Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for East Africa and subsequently led Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking business in Nigeria. Previously, he worked at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was a Managing Director focused on mergers and acquisitions. In this role, he executed more than $5 billion in merger and acquisition transactions and advised senior executives and boards of directors of corporate and private equity firms on mergers, divestitures, acquisitions, joint ventures, recapitalizations, and corporate defense.
Prior to Wells Fargo Securities, Williams was Vice President of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs in New York City, where he provided strategic guidance to Fortune 500 companies in all aspects of merger and financing analysis and execution.
Williams, a dual citizen of Sierra Leone and the U.S., holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and bachelor’s degrees in applied math and economics from Brown University. He is a member of Harvard Business School’s Africa Advisory Board and has also served on the boards of publicly listed companies and non-profit organizations in the U.S., Nigeria, and Kenya.