Dikembe Mutombo - Mt. Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, more commonly known as Dikembe Mutombo (born June 25, 1966), is a Congolese-American professional basketball player in the NBA, playing at the position of center for the Houston Rockets. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players of all time, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times. At age 40, for much of the 2006-07 NBA season (until 44-year-old Kevin Willis signed with the Dallas Mavericks in April 2007), Mutombo was the oldest active player in the league. On January 10, 2007, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second most prolific shot blocker in NBA history, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon. He is 7 feet 2 inches tall (218 centimetres) and weighs 260 pounds (118 kilograms). He is a member of the Luba ethnic group and speaks fluent Luba, Lingala, French and English.

Selected fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft, Mutombo's impact was immediate. As a rookie, he was selected for the All-Star team by averaging 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game. A cornerstone in the Nuggets' frontcourt, Dikembe became one of the league's best defensive players, regularly putting up big rebound and block numbers for five years with the club while averaging 11 or so points a game. The team lacked other great players to team up with him, however, and at its best won only 42 games, in his third season. However, that season, it pulled off a major playoff upset by stunning the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics in the first round, the first eighth seed to win an NBA playoff series, in which at the end of Game 5, Mutombo fell to the ground, holding the ball over his head in a moment of joy. Mutombo's defensive presence was the key to this upset victory. His total of 31 blocks remains a record for a five-game series. The following season, he received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

The 7-2, 260 lb. Mutombo plays the center position. With his combination of height, power and long arms, he established himself as one of the top post defenders of all time, being elected NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times. This feat is only equalled by Ben Wallace. Staples of Mutombo's defensive prowess are his outstanding shot-blocking and rebounding power: for his career, he averages 2.9 blocks and 10.8 rebounds per game. He is second all-time in registered blocks, only exceeded by Hakeem Olajuwon, and the 21st most prolific rebounder ever. He is also an eight-time All-Star and was elected into three All-NBA and six All-Defensive Teams. While universally regarded as defensive stalwart, Mutombo also could contribute offensively, scoring 10.6 points per game.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• basketball

[AstroFishLol]

A really underrated player indeed.

[XxFortMiNoRxX]

probably the second best center defender of all the times only bill russel is better than him i guess

[revengeofbutthead]

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo

[nasakadvoikata]

I'd be honoured if I get blocked by him

[shwinky789]

Mutombo is a legend.

[IndiaMikePapa]

Lebron traveled!

[SeanYves09]

The only people who managed to block jordan properly were Africans

[SeanYves09]

@EdwinJ92 True broda

[SeanYves09]

@XxFortMiNoRxX I want to argue but you are probably right

[fivepointseven99]

wat does this song have to do with like this video?? wtf mann.. i wanna get laid now not watch blocks!

[ToughEthic]

you played the andrew bynum block like 50 times in different angles

[sakura4994]

Dikembe Mutombo was so good defensively, that you can make the argument that only Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Russell were better at it than Mutombo.