The NBA is in mourning: Dikembe Mutombo, one of its emblems from the golden era, a contemporary of Michael Jordan and one of the ambassadors who took the sport to different parts of the planet during the 90s, died this Monday, a victim of cancer. cerebral, according to what the League itself reported.
Born in the Congo 58 years ago, Mutombo became a trademark of the North American League for his physical presence and his finger gesture of saying no, every time he blocked an opponent near his basket. Due to his ability, he is considered one of the best defenders in the entire history of the competition, where he won four awards for Best Defender of the Year, eight appearances in the All-Star Game and eight appearances in the Best Defensive Quintet. Another indelible mark from his 18 seasons in the NBA are the 3,289 caps he achieved throughout his career, only to be left behind Hakeem Olajuwon.
In addition to his defensive ability, Mutombo also expanded his legend with a peculiar name: in his document he appeared as Umaru Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo. But for the NBA he became Mount Mutombo, given the difficulty of being able to shoot above his 2.18 meters and his long arms, always ready to look for a heroic cover, and then complete the action with his denial gesture with the finger
Mutombo was selected in fourth position in the 1991 draft by the Denver Nuggets, and then went through the Atlanta Hawks, Phildelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. During his career in the NBA, the Congolese center averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. His legendary 55 jersey was retired at the top of the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks stadiums, while in 2015 he entered the Basketball Hall of Fame.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said goodbye to him in a very emotional statement, in which he considered him “larger than life itself.” “Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life. On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Off the court, he gave his heart and soul to helping others.” , says part of Silver’s letter. “There was no one more qualified than Dikembe to be the NBA’s first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian by nature. He loved what basketball could do to have a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the entire African continent,” the leader concluded.
