DENVER (AP) - The Denver Nuggets retired the No. 55 jersey of finger-wagging, shot-blocker extraordinaire Dikembe Mutombo in a halftime ceremony on Saturday night.
Mutombo was drafted by the Nuggets with the No. 4 overall pick in 1991 and played five seasons with the team. Besides his trademark finger wag, Mutombo is probably best remembered for lying on the court, clutching the ball over his head, after the eighth-seeded Nuggets upset top-seeded Seattle during the 1993-94 playoffs.
Mutombo’s number was retired by Atlanta last season.
The Nuggets wore their “Rainbow Skyline” throwback uniforms to honor Mutombo. The team also presented him with a painting and a $50,000 check for his foundation.
The 7-foot-2 Mutombo blocked 3,289 shots over his stellar NBA career. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
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