By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Author
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor, the NBA announced Saturday.
Mutombo has been one in all the NBA’s global ambassadors for years, and recently appeared at Hall of Fame enshrinement events in Springfield, Massachusetts and a pair of preseason games in Saitama, Japan.
He also appeared with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at an event within the Congo, Mutombo’s native country, in August.
“He’s receiving the very best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment,” Mutombo’s family said in a press release distributed by the NBA. “Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so that they can concentrate on his care. They’re grateful in your prayers and good wishes.”
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The family didn’t release some other details, including what prompted the tumor being discovered.
“We all know he’ll approach this challenge with the identical determination and grit which have made him a legend on and off the court,” Atlanta Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said.
The 56-year-old Mutombo spent 18 seasons within the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, Latest York and the then-Latest Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center out of Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, four-time defensive player of the yr, three-time All-NBA selection and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his profession.
Mutombo last played through the 2008-09 season and has worked extensively for charitable and humanitarian causes since. Blinken lauded him when the pair were together within the Congo, telling Mutombo “you’ve done a lot to bring the world together.”
Mutombo speaks nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people within the Congo. His foundation led the constructing of a 170-bed hospital in Kinshasa, the capital city, and that facility has treated nearly a half-million people no matter their ability to pay for care.
He also has served on the boards of many organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
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