LeBron James told the story of Mutombo fracturing his face — and even then he couldn't talk about Dikembe without a smile on his face.

NBA Hall of Fame center and global ambassador Dikembe Mutombo, known for his "infectious smile, his deep booming voice and signature finger wag," died Monday from brain cancer at the age of 58.

Dikembe Mutombo, who arrived at Georgetown University as an international student with aspirations of being a doctor but who instead became a towering presence in professional basketball and a dedicated humanitarian in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo,