[Chron] Rockets center would put off retiring if healthy

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Rockets center would put off retiring if healthy

By JONATHAN FEIGEN

Dikembe Mutombo, amidst a victory lap of a final season, might just come back for an encore.

With every blocked shot, every rebound, every locker-room joke that has left him roaring, Mutombo seems to move another step further from retirement.

Realizing this, Mutombo has reconsidered his plan to complete his contract and retire after this season, and he said this week that if he can stay healthy he would like to play another season after all.

"Things have gone to our favor," Mutombo said. "The team is playing great. The defense is going good. I'm playing well. That changed a lot. That changed my perception of myself and the future and how I want to exit the game. That's why I have to make a decision, should I exit now or should I play one more year.

"At this point, it seems like I'll be coming to play one more year."

The oldest player in the NBA at 40 years old, Mutombo's caveat about whether he would want to play again was that he remain healthy. But his success this season, since Yao Ming's Dec. 23 injury, has given him and his family — wife Rose, daughter Carrie, 9, and sons Jean-Jacque, 6, and Ryan, 3 — new reasons for Mutombo to extend his career.

"I know my wife and I, we have talked about it," Mutombo said. "She was like, 'The way you are playing now, you have brought so much excitement to the kids, especially to the youngest one, to know more basketball than he did.' She was like, 'Can you play one more year? He can remember so much about what daddy was doing on the court.'

"I think about another great part of my career. I have to see how my body is holding up by the end of the year. But to see how fun it was and my family was telling me how much fun they were having with the team, how the team is going, I'd like to come back for another year."

Mutombo is signed through this season. Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said he hoped Mutombo could play another season but did not describe the Rockets' long-term plans.

Stellar with Yao out
"Nobody can be happier than us with the way he's playing," Dawson said. "He's had a lengthy career. I can see why he would be thinking that. I hope he does play. We'll see."

Mutombo, second on the NBA blocked shots list, is averaging 3.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. With Yao out, he averaged 12.4 rebounds in January and leads the NBA in rebounds per minute this season, averaging 19.3 rebounds in every 48 minutes.

"He has obviously, at this age, lost some quickness and some jumping, but he still has a great level of pride and competitive spirit," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He really shows you again, size does matter. You need guys of size to protect the basket and rebound the ball. He's had an unbelievable career. One of his biggest attributes is he still likes the game. He still likes the whole atmosphere of being part of a team.

"He's held up better than I could have expected. He has a body type conducive to playing more minutes, but I'm sure he feels the minutes after games and between games. We're hoping he can continue to hold up."

Mutombo has had a sore left knee and played only 23 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Seattle SuperSonics, but said he expected to be at full strength Saturday against the New Orleans Hornets.

"It did bother me (Tuesday) and the day before, but I spent a lot of time resting, and I felt a lot better (Wednesday) afternoon," Mutombo said. "It won't keep me out. Coach cut my minutes down, and now we have two days off before the next game, which is great for me. I just have to continue doing what I'm doing. I think I can."

Van Gundy was not concerned with Mutombo holding up in long minutes in any game, but perhaps over the long haul.

"I'm more concerned over the course of this long, long stretch," Van Gundy said. "That does not mean in any one game he may not have it as much as another game. I don't have this fear that if he does have a game that he doesn't play as well, and he's had a couple of those, that he won't bounce back."

Fundraising platform
The remaining question, however, was whether he will choose to come back for more. He said that being an active, rather than retired player, offers a platform for his fundraising efforts to build and operate a hospital in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He said playing in Houston has helped make business and political contacts, but whether he remains with the Rockets is uncertain.

"I don't know if I will play here," he said. "Hopefully the Rockets will want me. If not, my wife said maybe we can come play at home and go back to Atlanta, or you can be in Philly or you can be in Houston. I enjoy the friendships I made here. I have to see what is best. I would rather retire here, just go out with one more year. That doesn't mean they don't have to give me my money."

With that, he sent a laugh through a Toyota Center hallway as he headed toward his car. That seemed to be the only departure he was ready to make.