"Do I complain about the bleeding, the stitches and the swelling?” - Dikembe Mutombo ripped Shaq for complaining about foul calls in the ’01 NBA Finals
By Adel Ahmad,
2024-09-07
In the 2001 NBA Finals, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the Allen Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers . A lot was at stake: L.A. had a chance to win back-to-back titles for the first time since the Showtime era, while the Sixers had a chance to win their first championship in 18 years.
Understandably, tensions were high, and Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo suffered numerous bumps, bruises, and cuts during the first three games of the series. He experienced a particularly vicious incident during Game 2, when a right elbow to the lip forced him to get three stitches.
Compounding the physicality of the series was Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal . The 7-footer effortlessly moved players out of the way with sheer force and power. Yet, when he complained that he wasn't getting enough foul calls, the Sixers shot-blocker couldn't believe he was actually the one talking.
"Do I come to the press conference and complain about the bleeding, the stitches, and the swelling that I go through every day?" Mutombo said . "I don't complain about it. I just go play the game. For him to complain, like I said, it's stupid."
The ugly side
With a chance to regain control of the Finals on their home floor in Game 3, the Sixers found themselves in a dogfight with the Lakers right down to the final minutes. Even with O'Neal sitting on the bench with six fouls, the Sixers fell short, disappointing a raucous crowd in a 96-91 loss.
Shaq fouled out of the game with 2:21 remaining after he was double-teamed by Mutombo and Iverson. As he rolled to the center of the lane, O'Neal caught Mutombo's jaw with his left elbow. O'Neal accused Mutombo of flopping in the game but stood by his comments afterwards. He accused the Sixers man of cheating and told him to face him like a man.
"I said what I said and I meant what I said," O'Neal stated. "OK? Good. Challenge me. Treat me like a game of checkers and play me. That's all I'm asking. Just play me. I'm allowed to pivot. I'm allowed to play strong. I'm allowed to be powerful. That's what I've been doing my whole career. So just play. Treat me like Sega and play me."
Dominant force
After Game 3, the Sixers felt they couldn't unseat a Lakers team led by No. 34 and his partner Kobe Bryant . The unstoppable duo managed to overcome a spirited comeback attempt led by the league MVP and the shot-swatting big man, denying Philadelphia a chance to break their championship drought.
In the final game, the Purple and Gold tandem led the way with 19 points for the guard and 34 points for No. 34. The Lakers duo also secured over half of the team's 47 rebounds. O'Neal ultimately won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP, while Bryant tallied elite averages — 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on 41.5% shooting from the field. This title was the second of the Lakers three-peat from 2000-2002.
shaq got away with tons of stuff in that series. he would throw his elbow into mutombo nearly every time in the paint because he knew mutombo could block his shot. it was dirty.
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09-09
mutumb0 needed a mid range game and 45 more pounds
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