Dikembe Mutombo Sadly Passes at 58 After Brain Cancer Battle
One of the greatest big men of all time, former 76er Dikembe Mutombo sadly passed away after a fight with brain cancer:
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has passed away at 58 years old due to brain cancer. pic.twitter.com/taDWSFeCQE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 30, 2024
This sucks man. Fuck Cancer.
Dikembe Mutombo played on the Sixers for 1.5 seasons and made an immediate impact, winning the DPOY award and helping the Sixers get to their last Finals appearance in 2001. The guy was one of the greatest shot blockers of all time and you can’t talk about Mutombo without talking about his iconic finger wag that’s been copied by millions of basketball players around the globe:
Dikembe Mutombo’s finger wag. Iconic pic.twitter.com/798iUQvuo2
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) September 30, 2024
Mutombo wasn’t just great on the court, but off it too. He’s one of the greatest humanitarians the world has ever seen. Bringing millions of dollars and hours of time to the Democratic Republic of Congo to make life conditions easier. Here’s Daryl Morey and Joel Embiid reacting to the news at Sixers media day:
Daryl Morey broke the news of Dikembe Mutombo’s passing at Sixers Media Day.
Morey shared his thoughts on how special Dikembe was. pic.twitter.com/LmrMUUyz1I
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) September 30, 2024
Joel Embiid shares thoughts on Dikembe Mutombo’s legacy, shortly after hearing about Dikembe’s passing. pic.twitter.com/sv4bvyPqUt
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) September 30, 2024
Also one of the funniest guys the NBA has ever seen.
One of my favorite Mutombo stories ever is about his time at Georgetown. Apparently, he’d go into parties and just ask the room, “Who wants to sex Mutombo?”
A consensual king ahead of his time. Lawsuits? NO. NO. NO.
I’ll never forget Mutombo’s contributions to the Sixers. Like when he leaked that the team was getting the #1 pick in the 2016 Draft that became Ben Simmons:
Simpler times. Rest easy king. Hopefully Heaven has a basketball court you can finger wag at all you want.
Kinkead: I don’t think people realize that Dikembe played into his 40s. When the Sixers traded for him, he was already 34 years old and a seven-time All Star. He went on to play seven more seasons for the Knicks, Nets, and Rockets. That’s unfathomable these days, to have a seven footer even make it to his mid-30s, let alone play 17 seasons from age 25 to 42. RIP.