Mt. Mutombo erupts on Isiah
Willis found this story and posted it in the comments area and I wanted everyone to see it.
Houston Chronicle writer Fran Blinebury did a feature on Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo to advance the ceremony the Rockets will have to honor the widely-respected center. Within the story, which you can read here Mutombo talks about his experience with Isiah Thomas during his short time as a Knick:
----
From the Chronicle:
After one season with New York in 2003-04, Mutombo was told by then-general manager and now head coach of the Knicks Isiah Thomas that the day had come, and that blunt message has driven him for the past four years.
"It's still a wound," Mutombo said. "My wife and I still talk about it. It's still a bit sad to see the commissioner coming and all those people coming to celebrate the 17 years of my career and accomplishments and you look back and say that about (four) years ago, I had a guy tell me that I couldn't play basketball no more, to go to the beach and onto vacation. That's the same guy who's losing his job tomorrow.
"I never said nothing (to Thomas)," Mutombo said. "The last time we played at the Garden (Jan. 9), my wife asked me to go shake his hand, to just forgive him. I went and shook his hand and I told him, 'On behalf of my wife, I want to shake your hand and I forgive you for everything you've done to me.'
"He said, 'Tell your wife I said thank you so much.' That was the way to put it behind me.
"I think it helped me a lot. You might not be appreciated by everyone. But you have to fight your own war."
The Knicks traded his rights to Chicago in August 2004 and one month later he came to the Rockets, where he quickly became beloved.
----
These are words from one of the most genuine human beings on the face of the earth.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (11)
That's what the Knicks are missing...another nice guy in the locker room.
Had they kept Mutombo, this would have never happened.
He could have told him "I don't coach defense... But, tell your wife I said thanks a bunch." Mutombo said "no thank you for another win tonight"
Come November, he's definitely got my vote to replace Bono as Moral President of Planet Earth. One of the classiest and most humanitarian people to ever play professional sports. God bless that man . . .
My favorite part of the 5 total minutes I watched of the game the other night was Zeke's ludicrous looking jump off the bench to argue & then get T'd up.
He hasn't done it all season and it looked almost staged, it was like puppet strings were attached when he stomped clumsily down the baseline yelling.
Please don't act like you care about this team NOW...and if you do, turn in your resignation. It's time...
he
lived in my building really really great guy
"If they kept Mutombo this never would have happened?" Can we require IQ tests to post comments for now on??
Thanks
Deke is one of the classier guys in all of sports, but let's not act like Isiah Thomas is the only one that thought his tank was on empty.
Fascinating, Willis -- thanks.
Also, regarding your note in the last thread . . . what's the opposite of a spoiler? That's what the Knicks have become. When teams are trying to get into the playoffs, we're the logo they want on their schedule. You hear a lot about how much other GMs dislike Isiah. I don't get it. If I were an opposing GM, I'd send him a thank you note. How many wins are that close to automatic?
Sorry, but I'm not going to shed any tears about losing Mutombo...Of all the players the Knicks passed on or let go, Mutombo? I'm sure Isiah wasn't the only person to think Mutombo was done 4 years ago, so I'll give him a pass on that. His box labeled mess-ups is large enough, I'm not going to put that one in there.
Trane - I've often thought that the other owners would support Dolan/Thomas out of self-interest. There are the relatively easy wins in a historic arena that you mentioned. The Knicks have also been a dumping ground for horrible contracts and a big payer into the luxury tax pool.
Pete - absolutely. How many GMs walked away from a trade with Isiah, with a smirk on their face, and the thought-bubble over their head that only needs one word: "SUCKER."