Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer.

Mutombo’s career lasted from 1991-2009 and included eight All-Star appearances and four Defensive Player of the Year awards.

“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 NBA history. From the floor up, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”

Mutombo, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, played college basketball at Georgetown and was selected fourth overall by the Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft.

He later played for the Hawks, Sixers, Nets, Knicks and Rockets.

One of the iconic moments of his NBA career came in 1994 when the eighth-seeded Nuggets stunned the Western Conference’s top-seeded Supersonics in a first-round playoff series, and Mutombo cheered on the floor as he celebrated the basketball in his hand.

He led the league in blocks per game three times – often celebrating his blocks by waving his finger to say “nuh uh” – and rebounds per game twice.

After his playing career, he became an ambassador for the NBA and spread his love for the game worldwide.

“There was no one better qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at heart. He loved what the game of basketball could do to positively impact communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of Congo and across the African continent,” Silver said.

“I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing firsthand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years – with his infectious smile, deep, booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation.

“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit lives on in those he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe’s big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I extend my deepest condolences to Dikembe’s wife, Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the global basketball community that he truly loved and who loved him back.”

In addition to his wife Rose, Mutombo is survived by three children, plus four adopted children by Rose’s brothers after he passed away.