NBA Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo's death was announced Monday morning. Mutombo died after a battle with brain cancer. After the loss, Dikembe's son, Ryan Mutombo, wrote a heartfelt post on his Instagram page.

“My dad will forever be my hero. Not because of his success — not because of the millions who, over the last four decades, have come to know and love him. My dad is my hero because he simply cared. He remains the purest heart I have ever known,” Ryan wrote. “At times, I thought of my dad as a super-human. The child in me would sigh to hear that this was never actually the case.”

Article Continues Below
Related News
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the second quarter at Paycom Center.
Colin Cowherd shades Jayson Tatum with ‘alpha’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takeMalik Brown ·
Julius Randle playing for the Timberwolves. T-Wolves logo in background.
Ranking 3 best Julius Randle free-agency destinations if he leaves TimberwolvesBailey Bassett ·
Feb 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
NBA rumors: LeBron James, James Harden potential free agency departures unlikelyZachary Draves ·
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) passes the ball away from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum.
10 NBA playoff injuries that ruined a team’s campaignSpencer See ·
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles the ball next to Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center.
Chronic LeBron James playoff victim sends NSFW message on 40-year-old dominanceBrett Siegel ·
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) in the first quarter during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Are Karl-Anthony Towns, Aaron Nesmith playing? Pacers-Knicks Game 5 injury reportMalik Brown ·

Dikembe was 58.