(CNN) – Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo – known for his shot blocking and famous finger waving after fending off opponents at the basket – died of brain cancer on Monday at the age of 58, according to the NBA.

He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, was an eight-time NBA All-Star and won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award four times.

His defensive prowess – he led the league in blocked balls for five straight seasons during his 18-year playing career and was second on the NBA's all-time blocked shots list – was balanced by his wide, playful smile.

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mutombo initially entered Georgetown University in Washington on an academic scholarship in 1987 and rose to prominence when he joined the basketball team in his sophomore year.

He was selected fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA draft.

In addition to the Nuggets, he played for the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the then New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets.

Outside the court, the towering center was known for its humanitarian work. In 1997, Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation with the aim of improving education and quality of life in his native Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2022, the NBA announced that Mutombo was being treated for a brain tumor in Atlanta.

The league said he was surrounded by his family when he died Monday.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement saying, “Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life.” On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. Off the floor, he devoted his whole heart to helping others.

“No one was more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first global ambassador. At his core, he was a humanitarian. He loved the positive impact the game of basketball could have on communities, particularly in his homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and throughout the African continent.

“I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing firsthand how his generosity and compassion empowered people. Over the years, he was always available at NBA events with his infectious smile, deep, booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation.

“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit lives on in those he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe's big heart, and I will miss him greatly.

“On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dikembe’s wife Rose and their children. his many friends; and the global basketball community that he truly loved and that loved him back,” Silver’s statement said.

“He was even better on the field.”

Sixers general manager Daryl Morey praised Mutombo during the team's scheduled media day on Monday.

“There aren't many people like him. Just a great person,” Morey said. “When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first opportunity in Houston, he was someone I went to all the time. He was older than me, which is pretty rare.

“Of course we don't need to talk too much about his achievements on the pitch, but just about an amazing human being – what he did for Africa off the pitch. “Rest in peace, Dikembe.”

Speaking to reporters, 76ers star Joel Embiid said: “It's a sad day, especially for us Africans and actually the whole world, because apart from what he achieved on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court even better.”

“He’s one of the guys I look up to when it comes to making an impact, not just on the pitch but off the pitch too. He did a lot of great things, he did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model for me, so like I said, it’s a sad day.”

“A heart of gold”

CNN Sports presenter Andy Scholes was a ball boy for the Rockets as a child and fondly remembers seeing Mutombo up close.

“I was around him almost every day for three years. “On the pitch he was intimidating, but off it he had a heart of gold,” said Scholes.

“I didn’t see him for some time after I started my journalistic career. But at an All-Star game about ten years ago, he came running up to me and said, “Andy, why didn't you tell me you work for CNN!” I see you on TV every morning.

“From then on, whenever we saw each other, he always told me how proud he was of me. That meant so much to me because I always looked up to Dikembe, literally and figuratively.”

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