NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo, who also had a massive impact off the court, passed away on Monday at the age of 58 from brain cancer.
While he was a dominant force in the league, Mutombo was a great human. Recently, the NBA Hall of Famer’s family responded to the fans’ condolences and appealed to support the humanitarian works started by the legend.
Following his death, NBA commissioner Adam Silver claimed Dikembe Mutombo was:
“larger than life.” Silver stated, “On the court, 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. There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core.”
According to TMZ, Mutombo’s wife, Rose, and children, Carrie, Jean-Jacques, and Ryan, released a statement on Thursday thanking the fans for their support. They also revealed that they will hold a private service for the family soon while the discussions are ongoing with the NBA for a more significant event.
The statement read,
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“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and condolences we have received from people around the world following the passing of our beloved Dikembe… Your kind words and condolences during the past two years, especially this past week, have brought us immense comfort during this difficult time.”
Dikembe Mutombo’s Family Encourages Donations To Memorial Fund
Mutombo’s family also appealed to the fans to support them in continuing the NBA legend’s charity endeavors. They encouraged the fans to donate to the memorial fund, which will continue uplifting the NBA legend’s humanitarian works.
Mutombo was involved in charitable works, especially in his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The statement added, “In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to the Dikembe Mutombo Memorial Fund, which will benefit the causes and organizations that Dikembe dedicated his life to supporting.”
The former 7-foot-2 center averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in his NBA career. In his storied career, Dikembe Mutombo led the league in blocking thrice from 1994 to 1996. He also won the rebounding leader awards in 2000 and 2001. In 2015, the former Atlanta Hawks center was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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