Feb 14, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Dikembe Mutombo during the NBA Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Hall of Fame Career
The pro center was drafted fourth in 1991 by the Denver Nuggets. His rookie season was a harbinger of his talent, where he scored 16.6 points per game, as he also averaged 3 blocks per game. He would go on to play five season with the Nuggets. But as is the case with talent in the NBA, as players excel they seek larger paychecks. Mutombo found his with the Atlanta Hawks.
"“My decision leaving the Nuggets was based on the organization not saying they had the cap room to sign me. (My first game back in Denver) was not good. Even though the fans loved me a lot, a lot of people were disappointed. Maybe they didn’t understand what went wrong for me to leave the city of Denver. I think Bernie (Bickerstaff) didn’t give the fans a great explanation, so the entire blame was on me. That’s why it was hard for me in my first 5-6 years after to even make a regular trip here to Denver, even with my children. …It was tough when you have established yourself in a place for five years, you create a great bond with the fans and the city, especially the youth. It was very sad to leave. I’m glad I still maintained my friendships in this city with people and with people in the organization who understood that it was not my own decision (to leave).” – Dikembe Mutombo"
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Mutombo would play four and two thirds of a season as an Atlanta Hawk, before his arrival into Philadelphia. Following his two year journey with us, he would play for the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, and finally the Houston Rockets. He would eventually retire from basketball while playing for Houston in the 2008-2009 season. His 19 year basketball career was highlighted by the infamous finger wag, the sign that he just blocked your shot. He was the defensive player of the year four seasons, was an eight-time NBA All-Star,and led the league in blocks three times. However, despite the finger wagging effort, the Congolese American NBA legend never won an NBA title.
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