At 7 feet 2 inches, Mutombo held down the paint as one of the league’s best-ever defenders and shot blockers. As an Adidas athlete, he served as a rare exception to the rule that big men can’t sell shoes with his namesake model still counting among the most eccentric signature models in the history of the sport.

Dikembe Mutombo, the Basketball Hall of Famer known as much for his finger wagging and singular voice as his defensive prowess, passed away Monday at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer. The Congolese-American player nicknamed "Mt.