<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>HOUSTON, Jan. 10 (AP)-- Dikembe Mutombo swatted the shot by the kid half his age, then wagged his index finger to the crowd's delight.Mutombo stuffed another shot by Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum three minutes later to move past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and into second place on the all-time blocks list.The 40-year-old Mutombo had five blocks in all and matched a season high with 19 rebounds in the Houston Rockets' 102-77 win over the Lakers on Wednesday night. He now has 3,191 blocks, two more than Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time list."When I came into the league 16 years ago, I told myself that I just want to be remembered for one thing,'' Mutombo said, "just to be one of the great defensive players to ever play this game.''The Rockets have won seven of nine games since Yao Ming broke a bone in his right leg and much of it is due to the suddenly spry Mutombo, who's had double-digit rebound totals in eight consecutive games."It's amazing, just the way I'm playing,'' said the 7-foot-2 Mutombo. "Even to myself, I'm sitting down like, 'Whoa, is Mutombo really playing like that?' I haven't seen myself jumping for a rebound like that for a while.''Mutombo's three children - ages 9, 5 and 3 - have nagged him lately about when he was going to pass Abdul-Jabbar. He had only one block in each of Houston's last four games."Now, they're going to leave me alone,'' he said. "No more asking, 'Daddy! When are you going to block all the shots and break the record?'''Mutombo is still 639 blocks from all-time leader, former Rocket and fellow African Hakeem Olajuwon. Mutombo hasn't said when he'll retire, but promises he won't stick around long enough to threaten Olajuwon's mark."I will leave that to my brother,'' he said. "He can keep that torch for the next generation.''</div>I am really just impressed by this. I think being sandwiched between Kareem and Hakeem in any statistical category is pretty impressive. I like his attitude about the whole thing... I don't know if "humble" is the proper term, but it's what I would call it. He seems pretty down to Earth. There was a thread about whether he should make the HOF a while back. I think this is a pretty good way to bolster a case for making it.AlsoWHO WANTS TO SEX MUTOMBO?!?!?
Congrats to Mutombo his D helped the Sixers get to the finals in 2001.I still remember:Mutombo deffense player of the yearMickie 6th man of the yearIverson league MVPLarry Brown coach of the yearWOW what a great season that was. Except not winning the title. Ah :no1:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Serge @ Jan 11 2007, 04:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Congrats to Mutombo his D helped the Sixers get to the finals in 2001.I still remember:Mutombo deffense player of the yearMickie 6th man of the yearIverson league MVPLarry Brown coach of the yearWOW what a great season that was. Except not winning the title. Ah :no1:</div>If we had played any other team that year besides the Lakers, we would have won it. Who knows, we might have put up a better fight if Lynch was healthy, but LA was dominant in the playoffs that year. Game 1 was the most incredible game I have ever seen in my life.But anyways, back on topic... Mutombo just played great tonight and has been great for Houston since Yao's injury. He looks like the young Mutombo out there, and they'll need him to keep up his stellar play if they want to continue to win. He's definitely a Hall of Famer in my eyes.It'll be interesting to see what the Rockets do when he retires, which may be at the end of this year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigMo763 @ Jan 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>If we had played any other team that year besides the Lakers, we would have won it. Who knows, we might have put up a better fight if Lynch was healthy, but LA was dominant in the playoffs that year. Game 1 was the most incredible game I have ever seen in my life.But anyways, back on topic... Mutombo just played great tonight and has been great for Houston since Yao's injury. He looks like the young Mutombo out there, and they'll need him to keep up his stellar play if they want to continue to win. He's definitely a Hall of Famer in my eyes.It'll be interesting to see what the Rockets do when he retires, which may be at the end of this year.</div>Yeah that game one was awsome AI won that game by him self.We really was not even close to as good as the Lakers it was pretty much a lock for the Lakers.
I'm happy for Dikembe. He's a great humanitarian and it was a chance for NBA fans young and old to be refreshed that Dikembe is definitely in the top five of all great big men in the history of the league. For him to even be swatting shots the way he is, is an accomplishment. Blocking means great timing, and great hops. He has really taken care of himslef over the years to keep doing what he's doing.
Amazing, I love this guy, he was such a dominant defensive player for his entire career and even still at the age of 40 he can still play a good 15 minutes, grab some rebounds and block a few shots. He is still a resourceful player. He's a great humanatrian, a phonomenal defensive basketball talent, and he sounds like the cookie monster when he talks....which is awesome. Way to go Deke.
I like the way he just can still step in and really defend and rebound, even at his age. I was shocked when the Bulls played the Rockets how viable he can still be.
I just wonder how these block stats would have shaped out if they actually counted them in Chamberlain's and Russell's careers, as well as the first five seasons of Kareem's career. Now that would have been interesting. Still yet, congratulations to Dikembe Mutombo.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ProStix#6 @ Jan 11 2007, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I'm happy for Dikembe. He's a great humanitarian and it was a chance for NBA fans young and old to be refreshed that Dikembe is definitely in the top five of all great big men in the history of the league. For him to even be swatting shots the way he is, is an accomplishment. Blocking means great timing, and great hops. He has really taken care of himslef over the years to keep doing what he's doing.</div>top 5? Id put him top 40. There are players like Wilt, Russell Shaq, Kareem, Hakeem, Ewing, Reed, Moses Malone, Tim Duncan, Walt Bellamy, Nate Thurmond etc that would be passed him.Congrats. I was watching the highlights and Bynum got bicthed by an old guy .
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ProStix#6 @ Jan 11 2007, 10:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I'm happy for Dikembe. He's a great humanitarian and it was a chance for NBA fans young and old to be refreshed that Dikembe is definitely in the top five of all great big men in the history of the league. For him to even be swatting shots the way he is, is an accomplishment. Blocking means great timing, and great hops. He has really taken care of himslef over the years to keep doing what he's doing.</div>top 5? that's ignorant and flat out wrong
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinoy Balla @ Jan 11 2007, 06:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>top 5? Id put him top 40. There are players like Wilt, Russell Shaq, Kareem, Hakeem, Ewing, Reed, Moses Malone, Tim Duncan, Walt Bellamy, Nate Thurmond etc that would be passed him.Congrats. I was watching the highlights and Bynum got bicthed by an old guy .</div>Eh, Bynum got a few blocks too but he didn't do that finger waving thing...but I guess that is just Dikembe's thing. Congrats to him.
After some consideration, I realized that top five is a gross exaggeration. But top 20 is not. And no matter where we rank him, he'll still be in the Hall of Fame.
Im really happy for the guy. Especially he did this in HOUSTON! These past games, He's been a monster on the boards. 19 boards two times this year. I love it!WHO WANTS TO SEX MUTOMBO?!!?!?
