Dikembe Mutombo, an NBA Global Ambassador and member of the Hall of Fame, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, the NBA said in a statement Saturday on behalf of him and his family.
“He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment,” the statement said.
The 56-year-old was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo before moving to the United States and playing college basketball at Georgetown University. He was drafted to the Denver Nuggets as the fourth pick in the 1991 draft. The center played with six NBA teams throughout his 18-year career and was an eight-time NBA All-Star. He retired in 2009.
In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Beyond basketball, Mutombo started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in the Congo in 1997. Its goal is to improve health, education and quality of life in the African country. He also serves on the board of Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, according to the Associated Press.
