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.

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,

Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who played five seasons for the Hawks, died Monday in Atlanta after a battle with brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.