West Coast Connection Forum

Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Halu Sination on April 22, 2009, 02:02:10 AM

Title: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: Halu Sination on April 22, 2009, 02:02:10 AM: PORTLAND, Ore. -- Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo said his lengthy career is finished after a knee injury knocked him out of the Rockets' playoff game Tuesday night against the Trail Blazers.

"For me, basketball is over," he said.

Mutombo, an 18-year NBA veteran, appeared to get tangled with Portland center Greg Oden and came down hard on his left leg late in the first quarter of Game 2.

He stayed prone on the court under the Blazers' basket for several moments before he was taken away by stretcher. A preliminary examination revealed a knee strain and he was ruled out the rest of the game.

Afterward in Houston's locker room, the 7-foot-2 veteran was on crutches and fighting back tears.

"Nobody ever thought they'd be carrying the big guy out like a wounded soldier," he said.

The 42-year-old will be examined by doctors in Houston on Wednesday.

Mutombo is an eight-time All-Star who won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award four times and stands in second on the NBA's career blocks list with 3,289. He has played for Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston.

Mutombo played 18 minutes in Game 1 of the series and had nine rebounds. The Rockets won the opener, 108-81, before the Blazers evened the series with a 107-103 victory on Tuesday.

"I've had a wonderful 18 years of staying injury-free, so I just want to go out with my head up, no regrets," he said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4087774
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: S P I C E on April 22, 2009, 02:09:48 AM: :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: OG Hack Wilson on April 22, 2009, 09:55:19 AM: i'm not too shocked...that looked serious

if he had went to the Celtics then KG wouldn't have been injured and he'd be on his way to a championship ;)
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: 'EclipZe on April 22, 2009, 11:50:11 AM: the ending of a great player/individual.
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: east bay funk on April 22, 2009, 03:51:08 PM: no one flys in the eyes of mutumbo
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: Citizen-Y on April 22, 2009, 04:43:36 PM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDKQhCgLqxU
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: Don Jacob on April 22, 2009, 07:38:40 PM: one hell of a run.
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on April 22, 2009, 11:05:03 PM: bad way to go out, but dude was definitely resilient just to be a main factor of a playoff team in the west at the age of 42.
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: tempo2 on April 23, 2009, 05:30:28 AM: ^^ yep definatley, also he deserves huge respect for the impact his had outside of basketball too.
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: OG Hack Wilson on April 23, 2009, 05:39:47 AM: Quote from: Temptastic on April 23, 2009, 05:30:28 AM
^^ yep definatley, also he deserves huge respect for the impact his had outside of basketball too.

building a hospital, being fucking tall

dudes a legend
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: tempo2 on April 23, 2009, 06:38:24 AM: ^^ nice try to bait me
Title: Re: Dikembe Mutombo retiring after Portland injury
Post by: jeromechickenbone on April 27, 2009, 10:13:27 AM: It's bad enough that Greg Oden sucks. Now he just ended the career of one of the all time greats.