NBA figure of the 1990s and considered one of the best defenders in history, Dikembe Mutombo died this Monday at the age of 58, following a brain tumor. Drafted in 1991 after playing three years for the prestigious Georgetown University, the Congolese pivot played 19 seasons in the big American league, in Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York and Houston where he ended up retiring in 2009. at the age of 42.
He was voted best defender of the year four times (1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001), a record he shares with Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert. Thanks to his height (2.18m) and his longevity, he finished his career ranked 20th among the best rebounders in NBA history, and is above all its 2nd most prolific blocker (3,289 blocks) behind Hakeem Olajuwon. After each of his counters, he had gotten into the habit of moving his index finger, as if saying “no, no” to his opponent, a gesture that the NBA ended up banning for a few years before tolerating it again. Selected for the All-Star Game eight times, Mutombo played two Finals (in 2001 and 2003) without winning a title, and his emblematic number 55 was retired by two franchises, the Nuggets and the Hawks.
“He was a humanitarian at heart”
After his career, Mutombo became one of the league’s international ambassadors and was involved in several major charitable missions. In particular, in 2015 he financed the construction of a hospital near Kinshasa, to the tune of $29 million. “He devoted his heart and soul to helping otherspaid tribute to him Adam Silver, the boss of the NBA. He was a humanitarian at heart. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing first-hand the impact his generosity and compassion had on people, with his infectious smile and deep voice. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe’s big heart and I will miss him dearly. »