Dikembe Mutombo campaigns for Hall of Fame

Associated Press
Posted: February 15, 2013

HOUSTON - Dikembe Mutombo thinks he deserves induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The 7-2 Mutombo, the starting center on the Sixers team that played in the NBA Finals, will be eligible beginning in 2015 after his retirement following the 2008-09 season. He ranks second on the NBA's career blocked-shots list (3,256), behind only Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830) and he says surpassing every player but Olajuwon on that list should alone merit inclusion in the Hall. Mutombo was also a four-time defensive player of the year, an eight-time All-Star and twice the league's top rebounder (2000-01).

"If you can see my name just below one of the great basketball players to ever play for this league," he said Wednesday, "for me to come this close to breaking his record, I don't see why I cannot be on the same bus with him. That's how I look at it."

On Wednesday, Mutombo joined a group of former NBA and current WNBA players visiting the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, part of the league's NBA Cares initiative. The event kicked off the NBA's All-Star festivities in Houston this weekend.

Mutombo played for the Rockets from 2004-09. He also played for Denver (1991-96), Atlanta (1996-2001), the Sixers (2001-02), New Jersey (2002) and New York (2003-04).

Index by Keyword
|
Index by Date
|
About Philly.com
|
Contact Us
|
Terms of Use & Privacy Statement
|
Copyright 2013