Mourning in sport: Dikembe Mutombo died after a terrible illness

Mourning in sport: Dikembe Mutombo died after a terrible illness

Former Congolese basketball player Dikembe Mutombo, who played 20 seasons in the NBA, has died at the age of 58 following a relentless illness, the North American Professional League (NBA) announced on Monday.

Dikembe Mutombo. PHOTO: Facebook

A very tall pivot (2.18 m), he participated eight times in the All Star Game between 1990 and 2000, being appreciated especially for his defensive qualities. He was voted the defender of the year four times and also the best blocker three times and the best rebounder twice.

According to Agerpres, born in Kinshasa, Mutombo played in two finals, in 2001 with the Philadelphia 76ers and in 2003 with the San Antonio Spurs, but never won the title.

“Mount Mutombo” wore the jersey of eight NBA franchises during a “trips” that began in 1991 with the Denver Nuggets and ended with the Houston Rockets in 2009 at the age of 43. In 2022, the NBA announced that Mutombo had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.