Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA player and now a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour in Atlanta, according to an NBA release on Saturday. The NBA said that the 56-year-old is in “great spirits as he begins treatment” and is receiving the best care possible from a team of specialists in the Atlanta facility. 

An NBA legend known for his incredible shot-blocking prowess, Mutombo is originally from the Republic of Congo. He played for 18 seasons in the NBA, after starting his career with the DC-based Georgetown Hoyas. 

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Mutombo is married to Rose Mutombo since 1996. Rose is a politician and humanitarian activist from the Republic of Congo. She is now serving as the national president of the Permanent Consultative Framework for Congolese Women (CAFCO). 

NBC news says that Dikembe and Rose have three biological children. However, they also adopted four children who belonged to Mutombo’s deceased siblings. 

Mutombo’s eldest son is named Ryan Mutombo and he is also a college-level basketball player. Ryan was rated the 16th best centre in high school basketball, and as he stepped into college, he followed in his father’s footsteps to join the Georgetown Hoyers. He is a highly-rated player, regarded as a 4-star prospect.

Mutombo had an illustrious career as a basketball player and has risen to the status of a legend in the game. He is also an active philanthropist with a lot of focus on The Republic of Congo, his home country. 

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He founded the Mutombo Foundation in collaboration with Georgetown University in 2012. The foundation provides care to visually impaired children from low-income families in the Washington DC area. Since 2012, the foundation is constructing a modern pre-K school named Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science and Entrepreneurship, after his father, who died in 2003.

According to celebritynetworth.com, Dikembe Mutombo’s net worth is estimated at $75 million.