Rockets, NBA to honor Mutombo's longevity | = Chron.com


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Sports

March 25, 2008, = 11:27PM
Rockets, NBA pay tribute to Mutombo=20 tonight
Finger might wag at=20 retiring

By FRAN=20 BLINEBURY
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

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They were going to hold a retirement party for Dikembe Mutombo = tonight=20 at Toyota Center.

Except he won't stop.

Last year when Yao Ming broke his leg, Mutombo picked his = venerable=20 body up off the bench and helped the Rockets hold their season = together=20 with a 20-12 record.

Last month, when Yao went down again with a stress fracture in = his left=20 foot, Mutombo, 41, stepped up once more, and the Rockets have = remained in=20 the hot playoff race with 12 wins in 15 games.

"He's done more for us than I would ever have expected," said = coach=20 Rick Adelman. "I can't think about next year. I'm sure he'll = decide when=20 it's time."

That time keeps getting pushed back over the horizon every time = Mutumbo=20 steps onto the court, blocks a shot, wags his finger, grabs a = rebound and=20 lopes down the floor with unbridled glee.

Senior citizen

The NBA's oldest player said back in = training camp=20 that this =97 his 17th =97 would be his final NBA season.=20

But now, with the Rockets and the NBA planning a halftime = tribute=20 during tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he's not = so=20 sure.

"It is a celebration of Dikembe Mutombo's career as it's = getting close=20 to saying goodbye to the game," Mutombo said, laughing. "Am I = putting it=20 correctly or not?"

NBA commissioner David Stern and Rockets owner Leslie Alexander = will=20 honor the league's second-leading shot-blocker of all time and its = foremost humanitarian. The Rockets will present Mutombo with an = oil=20 painting that depicts many of the key moments in his career, and = Alexander=20 will make a $500,000 donation to the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital = and=20 Research Center, the 300-bed hospital named after his late mother = that he=20 built in his hometown of Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo. = Each fan=20 will be given a commemorative foam finger in honor of his = trademark finger=20 wag after a blocked shot.

"I think it's a good ceremony and a great effort on behalf of = the=20 Rockets organization to dedicate a special night for me and the = (17) years=20 of my career," Mutombo said. "It seems like a long journey.

"I'm feeling like I've been invited to another State of the = Union. I=20 didn't think the commissioner was going to come."

Neither did Mutombo think he would get to this point in the = season and=20 still be feeling the pull of his teammates, the front office and = the game=20 he loves to return for another season.

"People are trying to get me to say, 'OK, I'm coming back,' " = Mutombo=20 said. "I don't want to say that right now.

"I want to play this year and go home. If I change my mind, = I'll let=20 you know. At some point, I have to come to the decision that I'm = going to=20 walk away from this game. If it doesn't happen today or tomorrow, = someday=20 it has to happen."

After one season with New York in 2003-04, Mutombo was told by=20 then-general manager and now head coach of the Knicks Isiah Thomas = that=20 the day had come, and that blunt message has driven him for the = past four=20 years.

Wounded by Thomas

"It's still a wound," Mutombo said. "My = wife and=20 I still talk about it. It's still a bit sad to see the = commissioner coming=20 and all those people coming to celebrate the 17 years of my career = and=20 accomplishments and you look back and say that about (four) years = ago, I=20 had a guy tell me that I couldn't play basketball no more, to go = to the=20 beach and onto vacation. That's the same guy who's losing his job=20 tomorrow.=20

"I never said nothing (to Thomas)," Mutombo said. "The last = time we=20 played at the Garden (Jan. 9), my wife asked me to go shake his = hand, to=20 just forgive him. I went and shook his hand and I told him, 'On = behalf of=20 my wife, I want to shake your hand and I forgive you for = everything you've=20 done to me.'

"He said, 'Tell your wife I said thank you so much.' That was = the way=20 to put it behind me.

"I think it helped me a lot. You might not be appreciated by = everyone.=20 But you have to fight your own war."

The Knicks traded his rights to Chicago in August 2004 and one = month=20 later he came to the Rockets, where he quickly became beloved.

"What can you get the man who could be the reincarnation of = Mother=20 Teresa," teammate Shane Battier said. "I don't think there is = anything we=20 could give him to signify how much we love him as a teammate and = how much=20 he means to the NBA. Honestly.

Hibernation over

"What he is doing is miraculous. Almost = an old=20 bear waking up from hibernation after a long winter's sleep and = coming out=20 and running up and down the court like a young bear again. I don't = really=20 think anybody expected him to repeat his success after Yao went = down last=20 year."=20

In a league and sport where offense is the focus of most = attention,=20 Mutombo carved out his career at the other end of the floor.

"I want to be remembered as one of the greatest defensive = players to=20 ever play this game," he said. "Right now, as we talk about it, I = see=20 myself falling into that class with Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, = Kareem=20 Abdul-Jabbar, (Patrick) Ewing, (Alonzo) Mourning, David Robinson, = Gary=20 Payton and all those guys that were considered being a stopper. I = feel=20 like I'm in that class.

"There will be kids coming into the NBA that want to follow the = footsteps of Dikembe Mutombo =97 being a great shot-blocker and a = great=20 defender."

There might also be kids coming into the NBA in another year or = two who=20 get to learn from him firsthand.

"Knowing him and knowing his heart," Battier said, "it's going = to be=20 very, very, very difficult for him to sign his retirement papers = when the=20 time comes."

If it ever does.

fran.blinebury@chron.com

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