Former NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo Dies at 58

Source: Former Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo waves to the crowd as he is honored in a tribute to him at half time Wednesday, March 26, 2008, in Toyota Center in Houston. (Nick de la Torre/ Chronicle)

Former NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo Dies at 58

NBA legend and former Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo passed away at 58 years old due to brain cancer, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.

The Georgetown product spent the final five seasons of his 18-year career with the Rockets.

Mutombo was known as one of the greatest rim protectors the NBA has ever seen, averaging 2.8 blocks per game; he played in 1196 NBA contests. He averaged as many as 4.5 blocks per game during the 1995-96 NBA season.

His defensive success led to many other things to like fun commercials:

Here are some of the key accolades and achievements from his NBA career:

NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Mutombo won this award four times (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), showcasing his dominance on the defensive end.
NBA All-Star: He was selected as an NBA All-Star eight times (1992, 1995–1998, 2000–2002).
All-NBA Team: Mutombo was named to the All-NBA Second Team once (2001) and the All-NBA Third Team twice (1998, 2002).
NBA All-Defensive Team: He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and the Second Team three times (1995, 1999, 2002).
NBA Blocks Leader: Mutombo led the league in blocks for three consecutive seasons (1994–1996).
NBA Rebounding Leader: He led the league in rebounds twice (2000, 2001).
NBA All-Rookie First Team: He was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 1992.
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: Mutombo received this award in 2001 for his outstanding service and dedication to the community.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history.