He was one of the beloved figures on the other side of the Atlantic, and it’s no coincidence that the NBA named him an ambassador. However, in recent years, he faced serious health issues (brain cancer) and today he took his last breath.

Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, the towering Mutombo (standing at 2.18m) was one of the first Africans to have a successful career in the NBA, starting with the Denver Nuggets in 1991 and concluding in 2009 with the Houston Rockets (having also played for Philadelphia, the Nets, and the Knicks in between).

Mutombo, one of ten children in his family, was destined to become a doctor according to his educational father. However, when the father saw him continually growing taller, he supported his decision to pursue a basketball career.

At 21, he moved to the United States to play college basketball at Georgetown University (teammate of Alonzo Mourning), where he made headlines in his first season by recording 12 blocks in a single game! In 1991, he entered the draft and was selected fourth overall by the Nuggets, transforming the profile of the league’s worst defensive team and becoming known for his signature gesture after every block (pointing at the player he had just stopped). As a rookie, he was included in the All-Star rookie team, averaging 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game.

This marked the beginning of an incredible 18-year career during which he scored 11,729 points (an average of 9.8), grabbed 12,359 rebounds (10.3 average), and recorded 3,289 blocks (2.8 average). He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.