Dikembe Mutumbo
Deke don't care. (AP)
After an injury-plagued solo season in New Jersey, the Nets bought out the remaining two years on Mutombo’s contract. Usually players give up money to avoid playing in New Jersey, but the tables were turned in this instance: the Nets ended up paying him nearly $30 million dollars to play anywhere else. The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year would play one season with the Knicks before spending his final five seasons as Yao Ming’s backup in Houston.
After retiring from the NBA, the Congolese immigrant continued the considerable charity work he performed in Africa during his playing days. In 2012, he ran into a bit of controversy when a United Nations report named him as part of a failed gold deal in his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The failed business venture landed a considerable sum of money to a Congolese militia leader wanted by the International Criminal Court.
More importantly, Mutombo appeared in a 2013 Geico Auto Insurance ad parodying his penchant for blocking shots.
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NJFan4Ever
April 20, 2013
excellent article! the 01-04 era will forever be my favorite in nets history!
KaptainKevin
April 26, 2013
I was a HUGE Nets fan in the 70′s when they played at the Coliseum. I was fortunate enough to attend the final ABA game when they beat the Nuggets for the last ABA title. I’m so glad they’re in Brooklyn and cannot wait for the Isles to join them!!!
bobby orr 4
April 29, 2013
Believe Renaldo Balkman was drafted by genius Isiaih Thomas( not Nets)
William Rausch
April 29, 2013
Right you are. The Knicks drafted Balkman, but the pick came from The Raptors, who got it from the Nets (in the VC trade), who got it from Denver in the Kenyon Martin trade (as the article says).