Former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo diagnosed with brain tumour
The NBA Hall of Fame centre is receiving treatment in Atlanta as reported by the NBA.
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has been diagnosed with brain tumour and is currently receiving treatment in Atlanta as reported by the NBA.
“NBA Global Ambassador and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.
He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment."
The report continued ... "Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care. They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes.” the league said.
Mutombo, 56, moved to the United States after being born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nicknamed "Mt. Mutombo", the 7 ft 2 freak of nature had one of the most fruitful NBA careers of a player - playing as a centre for the Nuggets, Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Knicks, and Rockets.
Famous for taunting his opponents by waving his index finger at the opposing team, like a parent reproaching a disobedient child, the Congolese-American athlete finished his career with 3,289 blocks In his 18-year NBA career.
He was also an 8x All-Star player and 4x Defensive Player of the Year, tied for the most all-time with Ben Wallace.
Dikembe was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2015; an American history museum and hall of fame archive, that serves to promote and preserve the history of the NBA.
Despite his grit and domineering presence on the basketball court, the man is a true philanthropist at heart.
Mutombo is considerably on of the most humanitarian athletes of his generation; with a soft spot for his homeland, DRC Congo.
Dikembe Mutombo built a hospital, named after his mother, Biamba Marie, in Congo. He brought a team of doctors to Congo to conduct knee replacement surgery and cataract surgery for people in Congo.
He has arranged for thousands of free cervical and breast cancer screenings for women in his home country.
Next on his life mission, he wants to build a high school in his hometown with a focus on medical science and research.
We can only hope that he is around long enough to actualize this dream.