Dikembe Mutombo, who arrived at Georgetown University as an international student with aspirations of being a doctor but who instead became a towering presence in professional basketball and a dedicated humanitarian in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri is overcome with emotion speaking about Dikembe Mutombo, who died Monday from brain cancer, in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) FILE - The Atlanta Hawks’ Dikembe Mutombo,

The finger wag. The enormous smile. The unmistakable voice. Dikembe Mutombo played defense at a level and with a flair that few others in basketball history ever possessed, all among the many reasons why he’s immortalized in the Hall of Fame.