The NBA lost one of the game’s giants on Monday after it was announced that former four-time Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo had died following a battle with brain cancer. Mutombo is best known for his time with the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, but he 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 during the Mavs’ media day on Monday and was saddened by the loss of one of the best teammates he’s ever had.

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“Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family,” Kidd began. “When you talk about a great human being, on and off the floor, 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 goes to I will will be missed very much… Unfortunately, he was taken from us a little too soon. 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 had, so he’ll be greatly missed.”

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

While playing with Jason Kidd, Mutombo only played in 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 would fall behind the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the 2003 finals, leaving Mutombo without a ring to add to his resume.

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