Former Sixers star Dikembe Mutombo ranked No. 81 player in NBA history

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Former Philadelphia 76ers star Dikembe Mutombo is one of the best defenders in the history of the NBA. Mutombo won Defensive Player of the Year four times in his career and blocked 2.8 shots per game in his 18-year career. He led the league in blocks three seasons in a row from 1993 through 1996.

When the Sixers acquired Mutombo at the 2001 trade deadline, he gave them that defensive presence to push them to the finals. He averaged 11.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks with Philadelphia after the trade on his way to winning his fourth and final DPOY award. He was an All-Star in his lone full season with the Sixers when he averaged 11.5 points and 10.8 rebounds along with 2.4 blocks per game.

Bleacher Report ranked the top 100 players in the history of the NBA with Mutombo coming in ranked No. 81 on the list:

One of only three players to collect four career DPOY awards, Mutombo dominated the interior during the late 1990s with the Nuggets and Hawks. And he was a key member of the early-2000s Philadelphia 76ers that made the NBA Finals.

Though not much of an offensive threat, Mutombo was the premier shot-blocker of his day and left the lasting legacy of the finger-wag celebration after particularly rude swats.

He ranks second behind Olajuwon on the all-time blocks list and checks in at No. 20 in career rebounds.

Mutombo is a Hall of Famer who played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Sixers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets before retiring after the 2008-09 season. He passed away in September of 2024.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Former Sixers star Dikembe Mutombo ranked No. 81 player in NBA history

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