Word on the Street: Dikembe Mutombo
by Tom Martin on Apr 22, 2009 9:42 PM CDT
in Random Commentary
30 comments
A list of stories written about Dikembe Mutombo as a result of last night's horrific injury:
Feel free to post any other stories on Mutombo of your own. I may put something together on Deke later on, but for now, this should suffice. The Wag must never be forgotten.
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Do it for Deke!
I think as a tribute to this great man, Yao and the rest of the Rockets should give the fingerwag after each block for the rest of the playoffs.
by EvanO on Apr 22, 2009 10:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Peachtree Hoops also had something for Deke...
by Cornholio on Apr 22, 2009 10:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
true hoop is on there.
The Dream Shake - Where Brooks > Alston happens.
"I think girls are probably just better shooters." - Steve Novak
by Tom Martin on Apr 22, 2009 10:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, missed it, sorry
The place we love to hate…Clutchfans
by Cornholio on Apr 22, 2009 10:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
While I hated watching my team play against him...
This was a model NBA player and a person that you could never say a single bad thing about. The NBA will indeed miss you Deke…as will the Rockets in the playoffs. Stay strong!
"Is RLEC a real person" -My beloved wife
by Ireallyliketheblazers on Apr 22, 2009 11:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Legend
Denver fans will always remember the image of Deke holding the ball on the floor after game 5. Thank you Dikembe
by runningdonut on Apr 23, 2009 2:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I just hope that Ms. Mutombo will "Want to sex Mutombo" just so I can properly thank him
Deke, you will be missed sir, please still be on the bench for the rest of the playoffs!
www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer
by UofTOrange on Apr 23, 2009 6:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I hope he'll be there too
I wish they could give him an honorary start for Friday’s game or something of the like. I’ll be there on Friday and I’m sure everyone else there will want to give that man the ovation he deserves.
by WakePhil on Apr 23, 2009 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If he is not a HOFer
There is no justice in the world….
Proud member of Duck nation!
by skywaker9 on Apr 23, 2009 11:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I've been thinking about this.
The problem is that Deke was never much of an offensive threat. But we typically think of a lot of no-defense, all-offense players as hall-worthy, so we should probably think the same of all-defense, no-offense players, too. Provided, of course, that their defense was just that good.
And Deke was one of the best defenders in the league every year he played. Throughout his career, the value of his defense was pretty consistently underrated, so he hopped around from team to team, but he was one of the best centers of his era, certainly. Probably the 5th-best of a pretty stacked era for centers (Hakeem, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing, then probably Deke, distant 5th in either Alonzo Mourning or Chris Webber). Definitely a lot closer to Ewing than he was to the Hakeem-Shaq-Robinson group. It’s just hard to tell because virtually all of Deke’s contributions came in defense and rebounding.
Obviously, the first four of that group are either in or are going to the hall of fame. Webber and Mourning both have pretty good shots at the hall (neither are automatic locks, though). Deke should go as well.
by Only_A_Lad on Apr 23, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think you have to give points to length of career too. You know, accumulating the counting stats. That’s simply not easy to do in the NBA.
I wonder about Mourning, but I think Webber belongs in the (to steal a baseball prospectus phrase) Hall of The Very Good.
by Xiane on Apr 24, 2009 8:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's a rare one.
Talent and career aside, Mutombo always had it figured out priority wise. He knows what is important in life and it always comes across in interviews. He’ll talk basketball for a few minutes but is always eager to talk about his charities or projects in Africa.
The thing that makes me really feel for him is that he loses the financial ability to do many of the charitable things he has been doing with his own money over the year. Let’s hope more people—and athletes—can step up during these tough times and follow his lead.
Great player, great human.
"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''
- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09
by ArbyOSU on Apr 23, 2009 11:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I was actually
thinking of making a donation to his organization. It wouldn’t kill me to spare a few bucks.
by Artest4Prez on Apr 23, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not a bad way to pay homage.
"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''
- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09
by ArbyOSU on Apr 23, 2009 1:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/4/23/850330/thank-you-dikembe-mutombo-no
"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''
- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09
by ArbyOSU on Apr 23, 2009 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Deke is like the rest of the Rockets
A good hard working player I respect as a Blazers fan. Unlike the Fake Show, whom I have absolutely no respect for…
Proud member of Duck nation!
by skywaker9 on Apr 23, 2009 11:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Touched by the finger wag
Houston Rockets fans were really blessed to have been touched by the finger wag for 5 years. He’s also one of the last remnants of the Jordan/Olajuwon era. For him to remain a relevant player for so long is absolutely amazing.
Wish Yao could learn to block like him.
Going to miss his enthusiasm for the game.
His loss is really going to hurt the Rockets the rest of the way.
by Skintrade on Apr 23, 2009 11:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Dikembe!?!?
I was at the game and it was just raucous until that injury happened. Really took the energy out of the building for a while. We tried to clap for him, give him some love, but the poor guy looked like he was crying, and it was all very sad. Me and my friend turned to each other and talked about the fact that we’d just seen Mutombo’s last game.
He was absolutely awesome for at least a decade. He’ll be missed, sorry for your team’s loss.
The Odenphant is true king of the jungle.
by maxmillian on Apr 23, 2009 12:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
He was the heart of this team
It’s going to be a real shame if he is not around for the rest of the season with them. It’s going to be sad getting used to not having him in our jersey at all.
What a downright great guy.
by pj.ibi.est on Apr 23, 2009 1:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
A donation would be a great way to show your appreciation...
Artest4prez brought up a good point. Hopefully, if something good comes off this injury, it’ll be that people will be motivated to donate, if nothing else, as a tribute to the man himself.
Dave/BBNovak/Orange, what are the chances of making a post on his foundation, complete with a link to the online donation form?
by flipasta on Apr 23, 2009 2:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
PS
I wasn’t trying to get preachy or anything but I’ve been following the Biamba Marie Hospital since I found out about it (around when Deke came to Houston) and thought this would be a good time for us to pimp it. I’m a med school student in Galveston, and was even thinking about trying to do a rotation there.
by flipasta on Apr 23, 2009 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
We've done it before and will gladly do it again
www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer
by UofTOrange on Apr 23, 2009 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Attempt at a fair, objective Basketball discussion between Blazer/Houston fans
I’ve previously posted here how much I respect and have enjoyed being a fan of Deke. From a basketball perspective, I’d like to know what Houston fans think the strategic implication of having to play an undersized front line (2nd unit) is for the remainder of the series. By now, you see that Portland has a very long, very athletic (and capable of running) front line. You also now see how they rotate LaMarcus (he stays with the second unit when they enter). Are you concerned? How do matchups change? How does it change your strategy on offense (I know Deke wasn’t a scorer, but he occupied a position on the floor – does it change if Landry is the 5?). Just curious
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
by Gekko Mojo on Apr 23, 2009 4:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
A loss no doubt, but...
Deke saw very limited action in the regular season. The vast majority of his PT came in games where Yao was out with injury or illness. He was not part of the regular rotation. The team knows how to play without him. Chuck, Scola, and Landry have been defending the big guys when Yao sits all year. They know the drill. The biggest loss will be emotionally. Hopefully they can turn that into motivation in a “win one for Deke” campaign.
by WakePhil on Apr 23, 2009 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Those are all questions I hope RA has answers to but...
In a nutshell, I am a little concerned, but not exactly suicidal.
The combinations at the 4/5 that we’re most likely to see when Yao sits now is: Scola/Landry, Scola/Hayes, and Scola/Battier/Artest (which would be more of a 1 big/3 wing/1 pg set). I really don’t see us playing Landry at the 5.
I’m not too worried about LA, as good a player as he is. I have faith in Hayes (and Scola) to play him one on one as well as anyone could. If he scores on jumpers over them, I’ll live.
My biggest worry is with Oden on the court with LA. LA forces our 4 to stretch, and thus, will have to come a long way to double if Oden gets good position. The only low post defender on our roster that I’d have faith to play Oden on the low post one on one is Hayes, and I have a feeling he’ll be sticking LA whenever they’re both on the court. I can see Oden just eating us up down low, which would force Yao to mimic Oden’s minutes on the floor more so than Pryz.
The Pryz/Oden lineup is another interesting wrinkle, but I’m not as worried about it because I see Yao being on the court whenever ya’ll put it up. Honestly, it gives you guys a better presence on the boards, but I don’t know if it gives you guys enough of an advantage to warrant LA sitting and not putting Outlaw at the 4 (If for nothing else, to spread the floor). If we have another capable defensive big (like Scola or Hayes) on the floor with Yao AND with Battier/Artest capable of crashing if necessary, I think RA has seen the Pryz/Oden line up enough in Game 2 to figure out how to solve it (but thats speculative).
What I think it comes down to is that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Hayes on the court from now on. The inside presence that Deke gave us defensively isn’t replacable, so it will come down to is if Hayes can do what HE does best (exceptional defensive positioning and great one on one big play) to the extent that his presence will be a net plus.
by flipasta on Apr 23, 2009 4:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
excellent insight. I'm calling mcmillan right now.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
by Gekko Mojo on Apr 24, 2009 8:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
by the way, the Blazers are obviously going to game plan for this situation...
… what do you think they are going to try to do to take an advantage over your second unit?
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
by Gekko Mojo on Apr 23, 2009 4:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Lang Whitaker of Slam had these golden stories of Deke.
"There's a thin line between to laugh with and to laugh at." - Richard Pryor
by DennardC on Apr 23, 2009 5:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
It saddens me to see Deke gone
he’s always been one of my favorites for his style of play and the huge heart and passion for humanity he posses. May the Rockets win 1 more game in your honor (but let that be the last game they win this series)
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: I heart Portland!!!
by saregister on Apr 23, 2009 10:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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