Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo Undergoing Treatment for Brain Tumor

Four-time Defensive Player of the Year and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is currently receiving treatment for a brain tumor.

Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Famer and former NBA All-Star, is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Per the official NBA Twitter account, the 56-year-old Mutombo is receiving the treatment in Atlanta, and he is in “great spirits” throughout this ordeal.

When people talk about defense in basketball, the name Mutombo always comes to mind. With a 7-foot-2 frame and great timing in his jumps, Mutombo has carved his name among the best shot-blockers in the history of the NBA. In fact, he compiled a total of 3,289 blocks throughout his productive 18-year NBA career. In terms of career blocks, Mutombo only trails Hakeem Olajuwon’s 3,830 total blocks.

Mutombo has career averages of 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. He never won a championship, but he got close when he reached the Finals with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001, and with the New Jersey Nets in 2003. Along with the Sixers and the Nets, Mutombo also suited up for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets.

Even though he didn’t win an NBA title, Dikembe Mutombo racked up tons of individual accomplishments. He made it to the All-Star team eight times and won the Defensive Player of the Year four times. He led the league in blocks from 1994 through 1996 and was also named the league’s rebounding leader in 2000 and 2001. He was not named to the league’s Top 75 players, but he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Most importantly, Mutombo is also known for his valuable contributions off the court. In 2001 and 2009, the NBA rewarded him with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He also began the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, a work that is still doing amazing contributions to today’s society.