If Rockets' center Dikembe Mutombo follows through on his plan to retire after the season, last night's game will be his last in Boston, unless the Rockets and Celtics end up in the NBA Finals. He has promised his six children that his 16th season will be his last. The 41-year-old is one of the great shot-blockers in NBA history and is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
"I got to go. I really have to walk away," said Mutombo, who did not play in the Celtics' 97-93 win. "Retirement is on my mind, and it's not a physical thing. To me, I want to retire because of a promise to my children. I don't want them to say, 'Daddy said [he's retiring] and he didn't.' "
Said Celtics' center Kendrick Perkins, "I know him real good. You got to respect what he did. He knew what he brought to the table, and he did it every night."
Mutombo said he received strong interest from the Celtics during the offseason, but Boston's cold weather was the main reason he didn't come.
"It's too cold, man," said Mutombo, who gave 19 tickets last night to relatives on his wife's side. "I didn't talk to any GM's. They talked to [my agent] David Falk. A lot of teams tried to get me. It was tough for me to break myself from Yao Ming, T-Mac [Tracy McGrady], and the rest of the guys."
