Former Georgetown University, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo lost a prolonged battle with brain cancer on Monday, Sept. 30. Mutumbo, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was 58 years old. The revelation of Mutombo’s cancer diagnosis became public when his family announced it in 2022. Mutumbo spent four and a half seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the All-Star break of the 200-01 season. Following his retirement from the National Basketball Association after 18 seasons, Mutombo, whose signature finger wag was almost as popular as he was, became an ambassador for the league.The 8-time NBA All-Star won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award four times and made his only NBA Finals appearance in 2001 with the 76ers against the late Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. During that 23-game postseason run alongside teammate Allen Iverson, Mutombo averaged just under 14 points, just under 14 rebounds, and three blocks per game. In the five finals games Mutombo played even bigger, averaging 16.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, and two blocks per game. The City of Atlanta put out a statement on behalf of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens regarding Mutombo’s passing. “Like many across the globe, my heart is heavy with the loss of Atlanta Hawks legend and humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo. I am grateful for the opportunity to visit with him and his wife Rose at their home last month and express the gratitude and pride Atlantans and millions worldwide held for such a truly good man. He is not just a Hall of Famer – he is irreplaceable. My prayers are with his family and loved ones.” “When you actually hear about it’s still kind of a gut-punch,” Steve Holman, the radio broadcaster for the Hawks the past 39 seasons and a long-time friend of Mutombo, told The Atlanta Voice. Holman said Mutombo was larger than life on and off the court and a great humanitarian. “He was one of my all-time favorite Hawks. He was a great ambassador for the NBA.” National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver said of Mutombo in a statement: “He was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.” Bob Rathbun, the Hawks TV play-by-play announcer and friend of Mutombo told The Atlanta Voice this about Motombo’s passing:“It’s hard to put into words what Dikembe meant to Atlanta and to the world. Far beyond his greatness on the basketball court, he was committed to helping people. When his war-torn country kept his dying Mom from getting the medical attention she needed, Dikembe raised the money and built a hospital in The Congo. His work as an NBA ambassador bridged political divides as he spread warmth and good cheer around the globe. His friendship meant the world to me. There will never be another Dikembe Mutombo.”Former Georgetown guard Gene Smith called Mutombo “a great human being” and added, “He was always polite and respectful of those Hoyas that came before him. The Hawks also put out a statement on behalf of the team’s Principal Owner Tony Ressler: “We are deeply saddened by the news of Dikembe Mutombo’s passing. Dikembe was a proud and honorable man, who lived up to the definition of a word that became synonymous with his name – humanitarian. The post Former Hawks and Nuggets legend Dikembe Mutombo passes away at 58 appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.