50 greatest NBA players from the 1990s — 11. Dikembe Mutombo
The Denver Nuggets knew they were getting an extraordinary rim protector when they selected Georgetown’s Dikembe Mutombo with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft.
After all, Mutombo had averaged a massive 4.7 blocks per game in his final year as a collegian. But it turns out, Mutombo was pretty good altogether.
He was a three-time All-Star with the Nuggets and was Defensive Player of the Year in 1994-95. He also earned All-Defensive honors that season.
Mutombo led the NBA in total rebounds (1,029) in 1994-95 and in blocked shots and blocks per game in 1993-94 (336 and 4.1), 1994-95 (321 and 3.9) and 1995-96 (332 and 4.5).
He was also third in the league in total rebounds in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and fourth in 1995-96, second in blocked shots in 1992-93, second in field-goal percentage in 1993-94; third in rebounds per game in 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1995-96 and second in 1994-95; and fifth in blocks per game in 1991-92 and third in 1992-93.
Mutombo signed with the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent in July 1996 and his career soared from there.
In five seasons in Denver, Mutombo averaged 12.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 1.7 assists in 36.9 minutes per game, shooting .523/0-for-2/.650.
Named Defensive Player of the Year in 1996-97 and 1997-98, Mutombo was a two-time All-Star for the Hawks in the 1990s and was also named All-NBA in 1997-98 and All-Defensive three times.
He led the league in total rebounds in 1996-97 (929) and 1998-99 (610) and in blocked shots in 1996-97 (264) and 1997-98 (277).
He was third in total rebounds in 1997-98; fourth in blocked shots in 1998-99; second in rebounds per game in 1996-97, fourth in 1997-98 and third in 1998-99; and second in blocks per game in both 1996-97 and 1997-98 and fourth in 1998-99.
In three seasons with Atlanta to close out the decade, Mutombo averaged 12.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.2 assists in 36.4 minutes per game, shooting .528/—/.687.
He would go on to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors a fourth time in 2000-01.
In February 2001, he was traded with Roshown McLeod to the Philadelphia 76ers for Toni Kukoc, Nazr Mohammed, Theo Ratliff and Pepe Sanchez and in August 2002 was dealt to the New Jersey Nets for Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch.
Waived by the Nets in October 2003, Mutombo signed with the New York Knicks two days later. He was traded in August 2004 with Othella Harrington, Cezary Trybanski and Frank Williams to the Chicago Bulls for Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams.
He never played for the Bulls, however. In September 2004, Mutombo was dealt again, this time to the Houston Rockets for Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin and Mike Wilks.
Mutombo played parts of the next five seasons in Houston, finally retiring in April 2009.
He was eighth in the 1990s with 7,282 rebounds, third with 2,174 blocked shots and an average of 12.1 rebounds per game and 20th with a .525 field-goal percentage.
Mutombo is 38th in NBA history with 1,196 games, 50th with 36,791 minutes played, 19th with 12,359 rebounds, second with 3,289 blocked shots, 35th with an average of 10.3 rebounds per game and seventh with an average of 2.8 blocks per game.
He was voted in to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and was scheduled for induction in September.