Ancient The Philadelphia 76ers The great Dikembe Mutombo had a Hall of Fame career before retiring after 18 seasons in the league. He was an eight-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-NBA selection.
The Sixers acquired him at the 2001 deadline from Atlanta Hawks and he helped the Sixers reach the Finals, averaging 11.7 points and 12.4 rebounds along with 2.5 blocks after the trade. He went on to be an All-Star in the 2001–02 season—his only full season for Philadelphia—where he averaged 11.5 points and 10.8 rebounds along with 2.4 blocks.
HoopsHype ranked the The 78 best international players in the history of the game and Mutombo, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, comes in at number 10 on the list:
Dikembe Mutombo entered the NBA at the age of 25 and became one of the most accomplished defensive players in NBA history thanks to his ability to switch shots. He didn’t really have an offensive game, but still managed an 18-year career in the league thanks to his shot-blocking ability and deep finishing prowess.
It’s a shame Mutombo couldn’t compete with Allen Iverson in the early 2000s. One wonders what the two could have accomplished on the court in the long run.
This article was originally published on Sixers Wire: Former Sixers player Dikembe Mutombo ranked 10th best international player
