TORONTO — On a day generally highlighted by hype and zaniness, Masai Ujiri brought moderation and solemnity.

It's a sad day for the basketball world as Dikembe Mutombo, a legend of the game, passed away after a battle with brain cancer.

From the moment it happened in 2011, the partnership seemed like a lower-stakes, modern-day version of mutually assured destruction: Bell Canada Enterprises and Rogers Communications, each other’s primary competitors, coming together to buy a majority share of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).

From fans to NBA players to those who covered him to the many people who simply called him a friend, like Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, there have been some truly excellent tributes that have done a great job in illustrating the 7-foot-2 center's impact that went miles beyond the game of basketball.

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.

Dikembe Mutombo #55, Center for the Atlanta Hawks during the NBA Pre Season basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers on 24th October 1997 at the Great Western Forum arena in