Basketball Legend Dikembe Mutombo Dies at 58: 5 Cards to Collect
Dikembe Mutombo, the Hall of Fame center, famous for blocking shots and wagging his finger at opponents, died Monday of brain cancer at the age of 58.
"Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others."
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— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2024
Nicknamed "Mount Mutombo" for his defensive prowess, the Congolese-born player won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, tied with Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert for the most awards.
Collectors, especially those fond of basketball from the 1990s, will certainly be buying and selling his cards over the coming days.
Here are five of Mutombo's cards worth collecting:
1991 Classic #3
Before embarking on an NBA career, Mutombo was a standout at Georgetown University, where he averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game during his senior season playing alongside junior Alonzo Mourning. As a result, he was included in the 1991 Classic set.
1991-92 Upper Deck #3
Mutombo was chosen fourth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. As a rookie, he made an immediate impact, averaging 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and three blocks per game. Mutombo has four different rookie cards, but his Upper Deck one -- with him in a suit with the Denver skyline in the background -- has garnered the most interest from collectors.
1991-92 Hoops #549
Among Mutombo's rookie cards, the other one that's popular is from the 1991-92 Hoops set. Unlike the Uper Deck card, this one features the big man in a Nuggets uniform ready poised to take on an opponent.
1993-94 Finest #164
The inaugural Topps Finest set coincided with one of Mutombo's best NBA seasons. During the 1994 playoffs, Mutombo had 69 blocks in 12 games to help the Nuggets reach Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. During the regular season, he led the league with 336 blocks for an average of 4.1 per game.
2015-16 Donruss "Rebounding Kings" #8
Insert cards are always fun. Mutombo, who retired in 2009 at age 42, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, To honor him, Panini added Mutombo in the 2015-16 Donruss set
Clemente Lisi is a writer and editor with nearly three decades of experience. You can follow him at x.com/ClementeLisi.