Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns Mourn Death of Dikembe Mutombo

The New York Knicks have released a statement in the wake of the passing of Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo.

“We are so saddened to hear about the passing of basketball legend and former Knick Dikembe Mutombo,” the Knicks’ statement said. “He has impacted the game of basketball in so many ways, both on and off the court. Our deepest condolences go to his family, friends and the entire basketball community, which he played such a large role in growing around the world.”

Mutombo, who passed away at 58 after a bout with brain cancer, played one year with the Knicks and averaged 6.7 rebounds with 1.9 blocks in 65 appearances during the 2003-04 season. New York was the penultimate stop of Mutombo’s career, which also passed through Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Houston.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who is said to be Mutombo’s next successor as the Knicks’ starting center, posted his own tribute on his social media channels in the form of a photo with the Hall-of-Famer. The duo is depicted engaging in Mutombo’s trademark finger wag, a common sight after his many rejections.

“We lost not only one of the best basketball players ever, but one of the best human beings we have ever seen,” Towns wrote in the accompanying caption, recognizing Mutombo’s monumental humanitarian work. “Huge loss for the world and the NBA family. Rest in peace.”

Mutombo’s legacy will likely never be forgotten: the Congolese-born center led the Association in blocks on three occasions and still ranks second in the category. He also led the league in rebounding twice and was invited to eight NBA All-Star Games.

To date, he is one of the only three players to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award a record four times, joined by Rudy Gobert and Ben Wallace. Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and his No. 55 has been retired by both the Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets.

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