PaullyInNYC

Houston Chronicle writer Fran Blinebury did a feature on Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo to advance the ceremony the Rockets will have to honor the widely-respected center. Within the story, which you can read here Mutombo talks about his experience with Isiah Thomas during his short time as a Knick:

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From the Chronicle:

After one season with New York in 2003-04, Mutombo was told by then-general manager and now head coach of the Knicks Isiah Thomas that the day had come, and that blunt message has driven him for the past four years.

"It's still a wound," Mutombo said. "My wife and I still talk about it. It's still a bit sad to see the commissioner coming and all those people coming to celebrate the 17 years of my career and accomplishments and you look back and say that about (four) years ago, I had a guy tell me that I couldn't play basketball no more, to go to the beach and onto vacation. That's the same guy who's losing his job tomorrow.

"I never said nothing (to Thomas)," Mutombo said. "The last time we played at the Garden (Jan. 9), my wife asked me to go shake his hand, to just forgive him. I went and shook his hand and I told him, 'On behalf of my wife, I want to shake your hand and I forgive you for everything you've done to me.'

"He said, 'Tell your wife I said thank you so much.' That was the way to put it behind me.

"I think it helped me a lot. You might not be appreciated by everyone. But you have to fight your own war."

The Knicks traded his rights to Chicago in August 2004 and one month later he came to the Rockets, where he quickly became beloved.

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These are words from one of the most genuine human beings on the face of the earth.

Mutumbo > isiah