What Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said about death of former teammate Dikembe Mutombo
Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo died of brain cancer at the age of 58 on Monday and Dallas Maverick’s head coach Jason Kidd remembered the international fan favorite.
“The news of Dikembe passing is sad, our prayers and thoughts go out to his family. But when you talk about a great human being on and off the floor, the things that he did for his country,” said Kidd, “What he was on the court, talk about defensive player of the year, protecting the rim, and playing the game the right way. That was Dikembe, I got to play with him in New Jersey, he’s an incredible teammate, one of the best teammates I’ve had.”
Kidd and Mutombo played for the New Jersey Nets for one season in 2002. They helped lead the team to the NBA finals, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.
Mutombo was drafted No. 4 overall in the 1991 NBA Draft after having a standout college career for the Georgetown Hoyas. During his NBA career the Congolese native earned eight all-star selections, three All-NBA selections and won four Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
Mutombo was also known for his humanitarian nature working with the NBA Cares program and serving as a UNICEF Global Ambassador.
After his career, Mutombo had his No. 55 retired by both the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks and the center was enshrined in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver put out a statement celebrating the former Defensive Player of the Year’s life.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life. 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 soul into helping others,” said Silver, “There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first global ambassador.
This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 12:51 PM.
