“No, no, no!” – Dikembe Mutombo to anyone who tried to dunk on him. A formidable wall between the rim and the ball, the 4x DPOY was inimitable on the court. Some of the most notorious names have been humiliated by that iconic finger wave. Including Michael Jordan. The road to the ‘closed eyes shot’ was not rosy for MJ with Mount Mutombo in the way. The NBA legend passed away on September 30, after a two-year fight with brain cancer. Other multi DPOY winners like Rudy Gobert and Dwight Howard have not done what Mutombo did in the paint. It’s very hard to encompass how the Congolese titan made blocks an artform but one game can’t be erased from our memories.
Following the news of his demise, Rachel Nichols brought back the iconic moment from 1997 between Dikembe and Michael Jordan. Their banter set the stage for His Airness to dunk on the 7’2″ giant in the playoffs with his eyes closed. According to Nichols, it took Jordan seven years to finally posterize Mutombo. And not for the lack of trying.
In the leadup to that epic ’97 clash, was a 1993 game. The Georgetown grad was three seasons into his career and Jordan was two championships in. On the way to a three-peat Chicago Bulls, suffered a rude shock against the Denver Nuggets’ young core led by Mutombo in January 1993.
The Nuggets hosted the defending champions where Dikembe Mutombo, LaPhonso Ellis, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Robert Pack were too tough to overcome. Jordan tried though and had his shots slapped away inches from the rim. No Jordan Rules, no fouling. Just Mount Mutombo at his defensive best.
The center had 29 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks against Chicago in a surprise 109-102 win over the Bulls. One of those blocks was against MJ. Jordan would finish the game with 39 points and a bruised ego.
The Nuggets finished the ’93 season 36-46 while the Bulls went on to win their third consecutive championship. But this game set the stage for Mutombo’s DPOY win two years later.
You would think that block would spur Michael Jordan to answer back. But it would take him five years and an instant provocation to make it happen.
When Dikembe Mutombo finally provoked Michael Jordan
After Mutombo’s demise, everyone, including Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan, are bringing back the unforgettable exchange between the two icons. Mutombo, then playing with the Hawks, provoked MJ ahead of the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals. It resulted in Jordan’s iconic closed eyes shot. It’s also known as the day MJ finally dunked on Dikembe Mutombo.
Five Years Before Michael Jordan Payback, Dikembe Mutombo Humiliated Reigning MVP
Despite losing, the giant gloated about getting under Jordan’s skin in 2022. “I made him mad. I told him, ‘Michael, you’re lucky to be able to dunk on many people, but you’re not going to get me.’ And Michael didn’t like that. It took Michael seven years. This guy was one of the most dominant basketball players to ever play the game, but he could not climb Mount Mutombo,” Mutombo said.
The finger wave icon’s best talent was bringing out his opponent’s competitive side, including Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Charles Barkley. However Mutombo made his fierce matchups with Jordan sound like the best moments of his career. Despite their trash talk and rivalry, a retired Dikembe could say, “He’s a great friend and I respect him so much.” Perhaps we’re going to miss how Dikembe Mutombo brought out the best in players, both on and off court.