CAMDEN, NJ – The Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA and the world in general lost a great man on Monday with the passing of legendary big man Dikembe Mutombo. A Hall of Famer, Mutombo averaged 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds for his career while winning the Defensive Player of the Year award four times.

Mutombo was acquired by the Sixers from the Atlanta Hawks before the 2001 deadline and helped them reach the Finals that season. Born in Africa, Mutombo did a lot of philanthropic work to help the continent and always gave back to where he came from.

Sixers star Joel Embiid, himself born in Africa, offered his condolences to the Mutombo family and discussed his impact on him as a young man.

“My condolences to his family,” a somber Embiid said. “It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans – the whole world actually – because I think, apart from what he achieved on the basketball court, he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys I look up to so far. Because he didn’t just have an impact on the field, he did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model for me.

Kyle Lowry played briefly with Mutombo during the 2008-09 season with the Houston Rockets. He was able to spend some time with the gentle giant and offered his thoughts to everyone affected by Mutombo’s passing.

“First and foremost, God rest his soul,” Lowry added. “I think the spirit of Dikembe Mutombo will never be forgotten. I think anyone he’s ever been with, anyone he’s ever been a part of, anyone who met him, knows how great a man he was. He has a great family, great people.” children It is a great loss for our league and for our world.”

The Sixers and the NBA world will mourn one of the great men of the world.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Joel Embiid and Kyle Lowry on the death of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo