NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo dies at 58 from brain cancer

NBA mourns the sudden death of one of his myths: Dikembe Mutombo. The Congolese died this Monday at the age of 58 after being unable to overcome a brain tumor he had for two years. Mutombo is considered a legend League American, becoming the second player with the most blocks in the history of the championship.

Mutombo will forever be remembered by basketball fans, in addition to his outstanding qualities, for his unforgettable gesture when he put his finger in his mouth and said “no, no, no” when another player tried to shoot another ball near the goal. hoop Denver Nuggets or from Atlanta Hawksthe teams where he spent his best years as a professional.

At the same time, it was the NBA that announced the death of the four-time winner of the award for the best defender of the season. Now, at a young age, he passed away as a result of severe brain cancer, which he suffered from since 2022. Mutombo is valued as one of the league’s most important defensive focal points, and not just because of these individual accolades.

He was also a member of six defensive quintets, led in blocks three times and rebounds twice, in addition to being a member of the Hall of Fame since 2015. His dominance in the 1990 era and into the early 21st century will never be forgotten, much less his involvement in the NBA after his retirement as he continued to serve as an ambassador for the League, participating in social projects and relationships with Africa.

Mutombo’s brilliant career

Mutombo was selected number 4 in the rankings. draft in 1991, joining the Nuggets, where he became the key to the team’s surprise North American title success. He later joined the Hawks, where he earned all the prestige he has today as a rim protector.

The peak of his career came in Philadelphia 76erswhere despite not playing much time, he played a key role in the franchise’s final finale. A year later he repeated as a finalist of the competition Brooklyn Nets. And already in the last minutes of his playing career, he played for the Houston Rockets, where he was an excellent replacement Yao Ming.