Three of the top picks in the NBA draft celebrate backstage at New York's Madison Square Garden after they were selected, June 26, 1991. From left: Dikembe Mutombo, picked fourth by the Denver Nuggets; Larry Johnson, picked first by the Charlotte Hornets, and Stacey Augmon, selected ninth by the Atlanta Hawks. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
Nuggets rookie Center, Dikembe Mutombo, feels the pressure from Houston veterans, Hakeem Olajuwon and Matt Bullard during the first period at McNichol's Arena in Denver on Nov. 3, 1991. (Photo by John J. Sunderland/The Denver Post)
Dikembe Mutombo #55 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during an NBA game in 1991 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Jon SooHoo, NBAE via Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo #55, Center for the Denver Nuggets drives for the basket during the NBA Midwest Division basketball game against the Detroit Pistons on 19th Nov. 1992 at the McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, United States. The Denver Nuggets won the game 99 - 87. (Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Allsport/Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo #55, Center for the Denver Nuggets prepares to make a free throw during the NBA Midwest Division basketball game against the Houston Rockets on 2nd Nov. 1991 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, United States. The Denver Nuggets won the game 109 - 101. (Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Allsport/Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo of the Denver Nuggets celebrates his teams overtime victory over the Seattle SuperSonics, Saturday, May 7, 1994, Seattle, Wash. Denver beat Seattle, 98-94, to take the best-of-five series 3-2. (Bill Chan, The Associated Press)
A stunned Denver Nuggets' Dikembe Mutombo leaves the floor Saturday, May 7, 1994, in Seattle after the Nuggets upset the Seattle SuperSonics 98-94 to take the best-of five series 3-2. (AP Photo/Gary Stewart)
Dikembe Mutombo, center, surrounded clockwise by his wife, Rose, and adopted children, Reagan, 12, Biamba, 11, Nancy, 11, and Harouna, 6, on Feb. 11, 1996. (Photo by David J. Phillip/The Denver Post)
Denver Nuggets Dikembe Mutombo (55) jumps to block Los Angeles Lakers Corie Blont, right on Friday, Nov. 3, 1995, during the second quarter of the game at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The Lakers beat the Nuggets 98-96. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Denver Nuggets Dikembe Mutombo (55) blocks a shot by New Jersey Nets P.J. Brown, left, during the first half, Thursday night, March 21, 1996, in East Rutherford, N.J. Nets Chris Childs looks on, right. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Dikembe Mutombo (55) of the Denver Nuggets spins around Michael Cage of the Seattle SuperSonics during the third quarter of their Thursday night NBA playoff game in Seattle April 28, 1994. Seattle beat Denver 106-82. (AP Photo/Gary Stewart)
Denver Nuggets Dikembe Mutombo (55) dunks over Sacramento Kings' Brian Grant (33) during the Nuggets 123-101 victory in Denver on Thursday, March 16, 1995. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)
Denver Nuggets Dikembe Mutombo, center, and Utah Jazz's Jay Humphries, right, battle for position for a rebound during Western Conference semifinal game Thursday, May 12, 1994, in Salt Lake City. Utah's Felton Spencer is shown at far left. (AP Photo/Jack Smith)
Denver Nuggets Dikembe Mutombo (55) Reggie Williams (34) LaPhonso Ellis (20) and Tom Hammonds (21) stand during the playing of the National Anthem on Tuesday, March 12, 1996, in Denver before playing the Orlando Magic. Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was suspended by the NBA before Tuesday's game for not standing during the Anthem. Abul-Rauf cited his religious beliefs as the reason for not standing. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)
The Atlanta Hawks' Dikembe Mutombo pulls a loose ball away from the Detroit Pistons' Terry Mills in the first quarter 02 May at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan. (Photo by Matt Campbell/AFP via Getty Images)
Atlanta Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo holds up the trophy for the NBA defensive player of the year that was presented to him before the first game of the first round of the NBA playoffs with Detroit in Atlanta on April 25, 1997. (Photo by Steven R. Schaefer/AFP via Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo of the Houston Rockets gets past Raef LaFrentz of the Denver Nuggets in the first half of a game at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Nov. 8, 1999. (Photo by Brian Brainerd/The Denver Post)
Dikembe Mutombo (L) of the New Jersey Nets talk to the media before team practice for the NBA Finals on June 5, 2003, at the SBC Center in San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio Spurs beat the Nets in game one in the best-of seven series. (Photo by Matt Rourke/AFP via Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo #55 and Kerry Kittles #30 of the New Jersey Nets attempt to control a rebound against Malik Rose #31 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game four of the 2003 NBA Finals at Continental Airlines Arena on June 11, 2003 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets won 77-76. (Photo by: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Forward Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks takes a shot against Dikembe Mutombo #55 and Jon Barry #20 of the Houston Rockets on Nov. 22, 2005 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(L-R) CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour talks with guest and NBA player Dikembe Mutombo and NBA Senior Executive Kathleen Behrens during the Annual Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS Excellence Gala reception on May 22, 2006, in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
NBA star Dikembe Mutombo is applauded by first lady Laura Bush (R) and others after being introduced by U.S. President George W. Bush during the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 23, 2007, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets Allen Iverson (3) chats with Houston Rockets, Dikembe Mutombo (55) during pregame Sunday, April 13, 2008, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Dikembe Mutombo meets with Denver Nuggets guard Aaron Brooks (0) at halftime March 17, 2014, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Denver Nuggets celebrated after nearly 20 years since the 1993-94 Denver Nuggets shocked the sports world by becoming the first-ever 8th seed to best a one-seed in a NBA Playoff series. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Dikembe Mutombo , LaPhonso Ellis, Tom Hammonds, Darnell Mee, Reggie Williams, Mark Randall, Dan Issel share stories in the hallway March 17, 2014, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Denver Nuggets celebrated after nearly 20 years since the 1993-94 Denver Nuggets shocked the sports world by becoming the first-ever 8th seed to best a one-seed in a NBA Playoff series. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Dikembe Mutombo waves to the crowd after his introduction at halftime during an NBA basketball game on March 17, 2014, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Nuggets celebrated after nearly 20 years since the 1993-94 Denver Nuggets shocked the sports world by becoming the first-ever 8th seed to best a one-seed in a NBA Playoff series. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Former NBA basketball player Dikembe Mutombo laughs during a news conference announcing him as one of the 12 finalists of this year's hall of fame class during an event ahead of the NBA All Star basketball game, on Feb. 14, 2015, in New York. Mutombo is undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor, the NBA announced Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The 2015 class of inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Dikembe Mutombo, right, bends backward to slip on his Hall of Fame jacket as fellow inductees, left, look on, during a news conference at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015, in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Former Denver Nuggets star Dikembe Mutombo addresses the fans during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of the Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers game Oct. 30, 2016, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Former Denver Nuggets star Dikembe Mutombo smiles at a painting given to him by the Nuggets during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of the Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers game Oct. 30, 2016, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Former Denver Nuggets star Dikembe Mutombo and his family unveil his banner during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of the Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers game Oct. 30, 2016, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Former Denver Nuggets star Dikembe Mutombo laughs and waves his finger at Dan Issel after a moment during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of the Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers game Oct. 30, 2016, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Former Denver Nuggets star Dikembe Mutombo leaves the floor in smiles after his jersey retirement ceremony during a Denver Nuggets game in Denver on Oct. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
Vada Schlasinger, 2 years old, gets an autograph from Dikembe Mutombo as her dad Aaron Schlasinger holds her up prior to the Denver Nuggets Sacramento Kings game on Oct. 21, 2017, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
John Leyba, The Denver PostDikembe Mutombo signs a bobble head for a fan prior to the Denver Nuggets Sacramento Kings game on Oct. 21, 2017, at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) jokes with former NBA basketball superstar and Congo native Dikembe Mutombo (R) as they take the stage with the Rainbow Band to say a few words at Villa Kilimanjaro in Kinshasa, Congo, on Aug. 9, 2022. - Blinken is on a ten day trip to Cambodia, Philippines, South Africa, Congo, and Rwanda. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo is seen on the red carpet during the 2022 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on Sept. 10, 2022, in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Three of the top picks in the NBA draft celebrate backstage at New York's Madison Square Garden after they were selected, June 26, 1991. From left: Dikembe Mutombo, picked fourth by the Denver Nuggets; Larry Johnson, picked first by the Charlotte Hornets, and Stacey Augmon, selected ninth by the Atlanta Hawks. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
ExpandBy Patrick Traylor | ptraylor@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...
Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame basketball player who started his career with the Denver Nuggets, died at 58 from brain cancer, the NBA announced on Monday. Mutombo was drafted by the Nuggets and spent his first five seasons in Denver. Read more: Dikembe Mutombo, Hall of Fame basketball player who started with Nuggets, dies […]
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