KINSHASA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The NBA announced on Monday that NBA Global Ambassador and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), passed away the same day from brain cancer at the age of 58.
"Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others." Mutombo was surrounded by his family, according to the statement.
Mutombo is regarded as one of basketball's most respected defensive players and rebounders. He was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year four times, a record he shares with Ben Wallace.
Mutombo retired in 2009 after accumulating 3,298 blocks and 12,359 rebounds and making eight All-Star appearances. Later that year, he was appointed as a global ambassador for the NBA by then-commissioner David Stern. In 2015, Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The former Houston Rockets star was also highly regarded beyond the game for his humanitarian work around the world. Mutombo invested millions of dollars in charitable causes, including building a hospital in the DRC to improve access to healthcare for thousands of people. ■