The NBA lost one of the game’s giants on Monday when it was announced that former four-time Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo died from complications of brain cancer. Mutombo is best known for his time with the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, but also spent a season with the New Jersey Nets as a teammate of current Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.

Kidd was asked about the loss of Mutombo at the Mavs’ media day on Monday and expressed sadness at the loss of one of the best teammates he ever had.

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“Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family,” Kidd began. “When you talk about a great person, on and off the floor, about the things he did for his country, the hospital (the Mutombo Foundation opened a hospital outside his hometown in the Democratic Republic of Congo). he do We will miss him dearly… Unfortunately he was taken from us a little too early, but what he was on the field… a defensive player of the year who protected the rim and played the game the right way, that was Dikembe I got to play with him in Jersey and he’s an incredible teammate, one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, so I’m going to miss him a lot.”

Mutombo had a distinguished career, being named an All-American in college, named Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice, making eight All-Stars Games, three All-NBA teams, six All-Defensive teams and four NBA Defensive wins Player of the Year He won the Year Awards, led the league in blocks three times and rebounds twice. He currently ranks 20th in rebounds and 2nd in blocks in NBA history.

While playing with Jason Kidd, Mutombo only played 24 games due to injury, but the Nets still made it to the NBA Finals, Mutombo’s second trip to the Finals in three seasons (he also made it with the 76ers and Allen Iverson in 2001). . They fell six games short of the San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 Finals, leaving Mutombo without a ring to add to his resume.

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