Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame basketball player, passed away on September 30 at the age of 58, writes Liz Roscher for Yahoo! Sports.

Mutombo succumbed to brain cancer, a condition he was diagnosed with in October 2022.

Over his 18-year career, Mutombo developed a reputation as one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players the NBA has ever seen.

A four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and league leader in blocks in three consecutive years (1994-1996), Mutombo finished his career with the second-most blocks in NBA history, with 3,289.

After starting his career in 1991 with the Denver Nuggets, he played for five other teams. In 2001, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, becoming the defensive anchor for the Sixers as they reached the NBA Finals.

Despite being an elite basketball player, Mutombo originally planned to become a doctor before being recruited to play basketball at Georgetown by late, legendary coach John Thompson.

After his NBA retirement in 2009, Mutombo focused most of his efforts on giving back to his home country of Congo and entire continent of Africa. Through philanthropic and humanitarian efforts, he strived to improve living conditions and reduce the spread of disease.

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern named Mutombo the first-ever NBA Global Ambassador.

Read more about the life and legacy of Dikembe Mutombo in Yahoo! Sports.

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