Born in Kinshasa, Democratic republic of the Congo, Dikembe Mutombo arrived in the U.S. in 1987 to attend Georgetown University. He was planning to study medicine, but at 7 ft.2 he caught the eye of the school's basketball coach. He became a formidable defensive player, feared by opponents for his shot blocking. He also became known for his humanitarian work. He first appeared in a 1999 episode of NBA Hardwood Classics, with his final credit listed for the film Coming 2 America in 2021.
Dikembe Mutombo died due to brain cancer at the age of 58.