NBA legend and former Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo died at the age of 58 due to brain cancer.
"There aren't many guys like him, just a great human being," Philadelphia 76ers president and former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the media on Monday. "When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to all of the time who was older than me."
76ers current center Joel Embiid, who like Mutombo was born in Africa, spoke about the loss.
Mutombo was acquired by the Rockets prior to the 2004-05 season, forming one of game's more productive center combinations with fellow Hall of Famer Yao Ming.
Mutombo was an eight-time All-Star, four-time defensive player of the year, three-time All-NBA defensive first-team, three-time blocks leader, and an All-NBA second-teamer in 2001.
The former 7'2" center was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.