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.

Atlanta Hawks and NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo has died at age 58 after a battle with brain cancer.Back in 2022, Mutombo announced that he would be undergoing treatment in Atlanta.Mutombo spent five seasons with the Hawks from 1996 to 2001.

Dikembe Mutombo was quite literally a towering figure on and off the court — someone who is a much remembered for his many humanitarian efforts as for his exploits as a player. The Congolese-American has devoted his post-playing career to various areas of public service,