Dikembe Mutombo was truly larger than life. So many of us woke up yesterday to the excitement of media days going on around the league but were quickly greeted by

NBA Hall of Fame center and global ambassador Dikembe Mutombo, known for his "infectious smile, his deep booming voice and signature finger wag," died Monday from brain cancer at the age of 58.

The finger wag. The enormous smile. The unmistakable voice. Dikembe Mutombo played defense at a level and with a flair that few others in basketball history ever possessed, all among the many reasons why he’s immortalized in the Hall of Fame.

Jeff Van Gundy, Bernie Bickerstaff and Mutombo's teammates on the legacy of the beloved player: "There was no way you could not like him."

NBA Global Ambassador and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away today at the age of 58 from brain cancer. He was surrounded by his family. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement. pic.twitter.com/fkFPaiMVD3

Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced.

Four-time NBA defensive player of the year and 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Dikembe Mutombo died after a battle with brain cancer.

LeBron James told the story of Mutombo fracturing his face — and even then he couldn't talk about Dikembe without a smile on his face.

Mutombo, who played for 18 seasons in the NBA, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022

In the pantheon of NBA greats, few figures loom as large—both literally and figuratively—as Dikembe Mutombo. Standing at a towering 7'2", the man from

Dikembe Mutombo was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year who blocked over 3,000 shots, but the 18-year veteran, who passed away Monday, made an even bigger impact off the court.