Retired NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo battles brain cancer

Former basketball superstar Dikembe Mutombo suffers from a brain tumor, NBA announced on Saturday.

"Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor," the NBA said in a statement issued on behalf of Mutombo's family.

"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 statement said.

The 56-year-old Mutombo hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has been a Global Ambassador for the National Basketball Association for years — he was the first person ever given the title in 2009.

During his long career, Mutombo played as a center for six teams including the Denver Nuggets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks and the then-New Jersey Nets.

"We know he will approach this challenge with the same determination and grit that have made him a legend on and off the court," the Atlanta Hawks wrote on Twitter.

One of the first African stars in NBA

Mutombo, an eight-time NBA All-Star, is second all-time in the league for blocked shots with 3,289, behind Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon.

He was also the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year four times — in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. He's one of only two players ever to achieve this.

Mutombo and Olajuwon were the first major basketball talents from Africa to make a name in the NBA, opening the door for others such as Luol Deng, Serge Ibaka and Joel Embiid.

Mutombo was drafted by the Nuggets in the first round in 1991, before heading to Atlanta and Philadelphia. He played in the NBA Finals twice, with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets, though both were losing efforts.

He wrapped up his pro career in 2009 after 18 seasons.

Committed charity worker for his troubled home

Long before retiring as a professional player, Mutombo started making a name for himself for his charitable endeavors, with a particular focus on his home country.

In 1996, he paid for the Zaire (now DRC) women's national basketball team's trip to the Olympics in Atlanta, also covering their expenses and buying their uniforms.

In 1997, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve the quality of life of people in his home country. His charity has a particular focus on education and healthcare provision for the young.

He initially moved abroad on a USAID scholarship to study to become a doctor himself. But the basketball coaching staff at Georgetown University saw his athletic 2.18-meter (7 foot, 2 inch) frame and managed to convince him to start focusing more on the sport he had started playing as a 16-year-old back home.

Mutombo also took up a role as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Program.