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BREAKING NEWS
By: KIM JAGORIN
Contributing Writer - AC Phoenix News
UPDATED: September
30, 2024
Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame center and beloved global ambassador for basketball, has passed away at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer. The NBA made the announcement Monday, confirming that Mutombo was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing.
Mutombo’s health struggles became public two years ago when his family disclosed that he was receiving treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. Since then, he had been privately undergoing treatment while remaining a cherished figure in both the basketball community and his humanitarian efforts.
Dikembe Mutombo
"Dikembe Mutombo was larger than life in every sense," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a heartfelt tribute. "On the court, he was one of the most dominant defensive players in NBA history, and off the court, he was a tireless advocate for others. His legacy as the NBA's first Global Ambassador speaks to his deep commitment to using basketball to improve lives, particularly in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across Africa.
"Silver continued, "I had the privilege of traveling with Dikembe and witnessed firsthand how his compassion and generosity transformed communities. His booming voice, infectious smile, and iconic finger wag became symbols of his indomitable spirit.
"Standing at 7-foot-2, Mutombo’s presence on the basketball court was as imposing as his humanitarian work off it. Throughout his 18-season NBA career, Mutombo played for teams including the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets, retiring after the 2008-09 season.
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A product of Georgetown University, Mutombo was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, earned three All-NBA selections, and made eight All-Star appearances. His remarkable defensive skills earned him 3,289 career blocks, second only to Hakeem Olajuwon. He also ranks 20th in NBA history in rebounds, with 12,359. In 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, having averaged 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game across his career.
"Dikembe was a hero, not just for Africans, but for the whole world," reflected Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. "What he accomplished off the court was even more impactful than his success on it. He was a true role model.
"Known for his signature finger wag after blocking shots, Mutombo turned the move into a cultural staple, though it often led to technical fouls. “I got so many technical fouls, but no referee would kick me out of the game,” Mutombo once shared with a smile.
Mutombo's influence extended far beyond the basketball court. He was a passionate humanitarian, founding the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 to improve health, education, and quality of life in his homeland, Congo. One of the foundation's crowning achievements was the construction of a 170-bed hospital in Kinshasa, which has since treated nearly 500,000 patients, offering care regardless of their ability to pay.
In addition to his charitable endeavors, Mutombo served on the boards of several prominent organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. His commitment to making the world a better place earned him widespread admiration and respect.
"Dikembe’s spirit will live on through the countless lives he touched and inspired," Silver remarked. "He had a heart as big as his presence, and he will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rose, his children, and the global basketball community he so deeply loved.
"Mutombo's legacy as a basketball icon, philanthropist, and humanitarian will continue to inspire generations to come.
In an effort to track his family history the author has skillfully layered the foundation of his roots. Julius Faucette searches for a workable meaning to his life through his ancestor's choices of color. Faucette takes the reader back to the 1700's through research and intimate conversations with one of the oldest members in the family. Eugene Pinnix, who lived to be 104, speaks to the readers through Julius Faucette. 
Fluidly, calmly, insightfully, Faucette guides his readers straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class and race. The Saga of Madison Brown "A Choice of Color" is a story of race, inheritance and color choices. Not often does one hear of someone of German ancestry passing for black. Through his research, Faucette reveals how individuals in the Madison Brown family were able to make color choices, which ultimately resulted in life changes.
Faucette cleverly shifts between information obtained through general research and his on-going interviews with Eugene Pinnix. By combining both, he is able to educate and entertain his readers. The author deciphers a historic unknown by matching it with known facts obtained through his cousin Eugene. And the contrast between those born in slavery and those born to freedmen is powerful. This historical pictorial will draw readers in.
As the Madison Brown history unfolds, each generation passes down to the next that thirst to make color choices. The struggles of each play out in this candid historical review. In this irresistible story, Faucette resists the urge to paint with a broad brush that will stereotype the races. He utilizes the information obtained from not only his dear cousin, but also documents from local courthouses, state records, etc., to present a complete family picture.
This first edition will take the reader back several generations and the result is that
most will yearn to know their family origins.
We are very excited to share our archive issue newsstand section. Click on the desired thumbnail to view the entire issue. Archived issues are organized on the newsstand by year. At the bottom of the newsstand click on the year to view additional issues.
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