PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers haven't won a
championship since 1983, and Dikembe Mutombo has never been to the
NBA Finals.
|  | | Gee, do you think Dikembe Mutombo came across to the media Friday as happy to be a Sixer? |
He figures that can all change now that he joined Philadelphia
in a trading-deadline deal.
"I think that having another veteran in the locker room, it
brings another change," Mutombo said Friday before making his
debut with the 76ers at Detroit.
"I think that they will learn from me because I've been there
so long and I have a lot to pass onto them as well."
He had 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots in
Philadelphia's 99-78 victory over the Pistons.
Philadelphia acquired the 7-foot-2 center from Atlanta in a
six-player trade Thursday that sent Theo Ratliff and Toni Kukoc to
the Hawks.
The 76ers did not know if Mutombo was going to be able to play
until about 7 p.m. because they were waiting for Ratliff to take
and pass a physical. Ratliff has been on the injured list since
Feb. 13 with a fractured right wrist.
Philadelphia, a league-best 41-14 heading into Friday's games,
also got Roshown McLeod, while center Nazr Mohammed and rookie
guard Pepe Sanchez went to Atlanta.
Mutombo brings a league-leading rebounding average of 14.1 to a
lineup that already features Allen Iverson and his NBA-best 30.5
points a game.
He will be expected to more than fill the void left by Ratliff,
who was having an outstanding season before injuring a wrist.
Ratliff underwent surgery Wednesday and could be out at least
2-to-4 weeks.
Mutombo feels the pressure, but said it's just part of the game.
"If you don't feel pressure, then I don't know what kind of
world you live in," he said. "You have to be on the top of your
game."
The Sixers hope Mutombo can help them secure home-court
advantage throughout the playoffs and get them into the NBA Finals,
where he presumably would be able to match up against any of the
West's big, intimidating centers.
A dominating defensive player, the 34-year-old Mutombo also has
been extremely durable. He's missed only 26 games in 9 1/2 seasons.
"That tells you what kind of toughness I have, what kind of
approach I have to the game," he said.
Mutombo, admitting that Atlanta's struggles the past two years
had been wearing on him, relishes the opportunity to play for a
winning team.
"It hasn't been a good situation for me, going from winning,
winning, winning every year," he said. "It was like a restarting
process, and there was a lot of frustration building. It relieves a
lot of pressure off my mind."
He said Philadelphia's running game was a good fit, familiar to
him from his early days in the league with Denver.
"I can just rotate back where I came from and start over
again," he said.
Although it's uncertain how the trade will affect the chemistry
of a winning team, Mutombo said he's not worried about fitting in.
He vowed to bring his veteran leadership to the locker room – this
season and in the future.
Mutombo becomes a free agent July 1, but said he's more than
willing to play out his career in Philadelphia.
"This is a team that's playing great, got so much young
talent," Mutombo said. "I don't think there will be something
holding me back from a longer signing with the 76ers.
"It's up to management to decide if they will offer to have me
here for the rest of my career."
King said the 76ers were working on a contract with Mutombo but
would not comment on contract talks.
"This is not a rental," said King, provoking a laugh from
Mutombo. "This is something we're trying to buy."
McLeod is more of an uncertainty. He is averaging 9.9 points
this season and replaces the underachieving Kukoc, who never meshed
with the team.
McLeod said he'll be an offensive threat off the bench.
"My game's efficient; I don't need a lot of minutes to score
points," he said. "I try to score points in spurts."
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ALSO SEE
Trade breakdown: Mutombo to Philly
Mutombo goes to Sixers for Ratliff, Kukoc, two others
Dr. Jack: Philly wins in Mutombo deal
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