Joel Embiid and the 76ers mourn Dikembe Mutombo during ‘sad day’ in Philadelphia

CAMDEN, NJ — The clinical Daryl Morey was reduced to something far less than he’s projected to be, or perhaps he was elevated for a moment, into a moment, as his victory lap was halted by the most sobering news.

The 76ers president had been beckoned away during his media day appearance by team personnel, moments after it was announced Dikembe Mutombo passed away Monday morning following a bout with brain cancer.

When Morey returned, his wide smile was gone, replaced by reddened eyes, a shaken voice and stunned movements. He couldn’t bring himself to answer the next question about the emergence of Tyrese Maxey, but he delivered a personal recollection on the Hall-of-Fame center.

“I knew him personally, we were together for many seasons in Houston, obviously very important to the Sixers franchise as well,” Morey said. “Just a great human being. When I was a rookie GM in this league, he was someone I went to all the time. His accomplishments on the court, we don’t need to talk about too much. Just an amazing human being, what he did off the court for Africa.”

It was the 76ers’ acquisition of Mutombo in 2001 following an outstanding performance in the Eastern Conference’s comeback win in the All-Star Game that buoyed him from Atlanta to Philadelphia, the catalyst in the franchise’s improbable run to the NBA Finals that June.

He was the Defensive Player of the Year that season, his fourth such honor, and even though that team could muster just one win against the powerful Los Angeles Lakers, it’s remembered fondly because of Mutombo, and of course Allen Iverson and coach Larry Brown, and its scrappy mentality — along with two seventh game triumphs in getting to the Finals. Philadelphia hasn’t been to the Finals since.

76ers star Joel Embiid called Mutombo a “role model.”

“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans,” Embiid said. “Other than what he accomplished on the court, I think he was better off the court. He’s one of the guys I look up to, as far as having an impact.”

Dikembe Mutombo and Joel Embiid at the 2018 NBA Awards ceremony.

Mutombo’s impact, beginning stateside at…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-01 02:21:14

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