The measure of the man was punctuated by the sheer number of people laying claim to him.
Dikembe Mutombo was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, and in rapid fire the Nuggets, 76ers, Rockets and Hawks had all splashed social media congratulations to the 7-foot-2 shot-blocking center.
But he was a Nugget first.
“Dikembe, for me will always be a Nugget,” said LaPhonso Ellis, a former teammate. “Though he was able to get to a conference finals and into the championship, the defining moments of Dikembe’s career on the floor — whether it be the finger waves or the blocked shots — will be always tied to being the chief member of the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed. With all of the things that he accomplished I think it will always boil back down to that point.”
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The iconic photo of Mutombo on his back, clutching the basketball in unbridled joy after the Nuggets beat the Sonics in 1994 to pull off the first 8-over-1 seed upset in NBA playoff history is burned into basketball fans minds.
“First, I want to thank God because coming from the place where I come from, from the poverty, to be standing here with this jersey and be part of this wonderful family, the Hall of Fame, it’s a dream come true,” Mutombo said at the HOF announcement in Indianapolis. “I never thought I would be a basketball player. I dreamed about studying medicine to go help people. Today my dream came true.”
Mutombo, who played five seasons in Denver, tops the franchise’s all-time blocked shots list with 1,486.He led the NBA in blocks for five consecutive seasons (1994-98). In 18 seasons he amassed 11,279 points, 12,359 rebounds and 3,289 blocks. As one of the best rim protectors of his generation, Mutombo won four Defensive Player of the Year awards. And, he was an eight-time NBA all-star.
Monday — and when he’s officially enshrined on Sept. 11 — was a day for all who know Mutombo to celebrate the whole of the man, not just what he accomplished on court.
But it all started with him being one of the most imposing centers of his era. The Nuggets drafted him fourth overall out of Georgetown in 1991. Mutombo credited his college coach, John Thompson, for helping mold him into the player he became.
“If I didn’t want to listen to him, my chance was not there,” he said Monday. “He challenged me and I worked very hard. It’s amazing how a coach can push you if you’re able to listen to him and be motivated.”
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Mutombo made an immediate impact with the Nuggets, being named an all-star as a rookie. He finished that season with averages of 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. In his Nuggets career he averaged 12.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks.
“I’ve been knowing Dikembe for a lot of years,” Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt said Monday. “His body of work, as far as his play, matters a lot and it’s a big deal. He made some great plays and wowed us all with some of his play. …(But) the basketball is gravy to me. He’s such a good man, and the Hall got it right. They got it right by putting him in.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
