Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dikembe Mutombo is having treatment for a brain tumor, the NBA said on Saturday.
The former center played 18 seasons in the NBA with six teams, gaining a reputation as one of the league’s greatest shot blockers which earned him the Defensive Player of the Year award four times in his career.
Mutombo’s prime years were spent with the Denver Nuggets, who drafted him in 1991, and Atlanta Hawks—with both teams retiring his number 55 jersey. He also played for Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets.
“Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment,” the NBA said in a statement….