“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “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.

His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.

Basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks as part of a Hall of Fame career, died of brain cancer at the age of 58, the NBA announced on Monday,