NBA legend and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has passed away at age 58 following a battle with brain cancer.
As confirmed in a statement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the eight-time NBA All-Star died surrounded by his family. Silver described Mutombo as one of the league's greatest shot blockers and defensive players, but also a humanitarian who saw how important basketball was to communities around the world.
"There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA's first Global Ambassador," wrote Silver. "He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa."
This story is being updated.