Knicks Ex Dikembe Mutombo Battling Brain Tumor
Former New York Knicks interior threat and Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, the NBA announced on Saturday.
"(Mutombo) is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment," the statement reads in part. "Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care."
The 56-year-old Mutombo, well-regarded as one of the greatest interior and international players of all time, played a single season with the Knicks. While he was nowhere near the height of his powers at age 37, Mutombo managed to post respectable numbers, including averages of 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over 65 games.
Of note, Mutombo set a Knicks' single-game record with 10 blocks in a January 2004 tilt against another one of his former employers, the New Jersey Nets. Mutombo also earned a Player of the Week Award the prior November for a four-game stretch where he averaged 13 points and 12. rebounds. His efforts were part of a Knicks playoff push, though they fell in the first round to eventual Eastern champion New Jersey. Mutombo then spent his final NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, dealt to Texas in a trade that sent Adrian Griffin, Eric Piatkowski, and Mike Wilks to New York.
Prior to his New York entry, Mutombo, now an NBA Global Ambassador, entered the league as a first-round choice in 1991 and played with Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. During his time with the Hawks, he notably engaged in several interior battles with Knicks star and fellow Georgetown alum Patrick Ewing, an on-court rivalry that culminated in the 1999 Eastern Conference semifinals, won by New York.
The Knicks open their 2022-23 season on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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