This Day in Basketball History
1996 - Dikembe Mutombo signs with the Hawks
Aiming to shore up their interior defense, the Atlanta Hawks inked veteran rim-defender Dikembe Mutombo to a long-term deal. Under the tutelage of head coach Lenny Wilkins, an upstart team featuring an unlikely cast of players - Christian Laettner, Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith and Tyrone Corbin - raced out to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, amassing a record of 56-26.
The only issue? The Hawks shared the same division as the Chicago Bulls, famously led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Unfortunately, much as it's been the historical thesis of the Hawks' existence, the team toiled in mediocrity without being able to break through and truly rank among the league's elite.
That was through no fault of Mutumbo, who averaged 12.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game over his first four seasons in Atlanta. The finger-wagging paint-menace anchored the paint on a roster littered with aging veteran bodies.
After a disastrous start to the 2001 season, the Hawks cut their losses and traded Mutumbo to the New Jersey Nets. Over parts of five seasons, Mutumbo amassed 1,094 blocks, a mark that currently ranks third in Hawks franchise history.
1990 - Damian Lillard was born
Lillard's career as a Portland Trail Blazer has gotten off to a roaring start. Through just two seasons in the league, the sweet-stroking point guard already has one All-Star berth, one All-NBA berth, and a Rookie of the Year trophy to his name. No wonder Adidas inked him to an endorsement deal worth in excess of $100 million last season.
The multi-skilled Lillard is gifted with many talents, of which include a rare ability to effectively facilitate offense at such a young age. Last season, the Blazers posted the second-best offense in the league by points scored per 100 possessions.
But what's sometimes overlooked with Lillard is that he's a historically great shooter. Consider this: through the first two seasons of a player's career, Lillard has sunk 81 more three-pointers than the next closest contender (Golden State's Klay Thompson). He boasts a career average of 38.1 percent from deep, a mark made more impressive by his sheer volume of attempts (6.3 per game).
And, he's a cold-blooded killer, right Chandler Parsons?
Birthdays
1969 - Lorenzo Williams
1989 - Anthony Randolph
1990 - Damian Lillard
1991 - Derrick Favors
1992 - Tobias Harris