Dikembe Mutombo's Done: A Final Farewell to an NBA great

This is not going to be a happy article. There will be no happy ending. This piece will only try to say goodbye to one of the NBA all-time greats.

The man I'm talking about is Dikembe Mutombo. This guy has been in the NBA for 18 years. He has played with the best of the best.

Let me list some of his achievements. He is the second best shot blocker in history and a great leader. He has won four Defensive Player of the year honours, a feat equalled only by Ben Wallace. He has played on six teams and in over 1000 games in his long career.

He became the oldest player, at 41, to record more than 20 rebounds in a single game. He played in eight All-Star games, starting three of them. He was on six All-Defensive teams. He has been honored with many awards and these are not even all of them.

It's not always about the game, though. It's not always about the stats and the awards. It's about personal responsibility.

He has six children, four of whom he adopted. Many players have said that they help, but few have done it. He is a great person and he fought 'til the end.

Many experts thought he should quit, give up, but he kept on going. He proved to be a great influence to many young players. From a court in Kinshasha to the NBA No. 55 has had quiet a journey.

Here is a what he said to the interviewers after his final game: "I've had a wonderful 18 years of staying injury-free, so I just want to go out with my head up, no regrets."

You did, you sure did.