Dikembe Mutombo holds down four of Denver’s top five spots as the single-season blocks per game leader.
The Denver Nuggets have had a number of legendary rim protectors suit up in the Mile High City throughout their 59 years in the NBA. This article will dig into the greatest shot-blocking seasons in franchise history, with Dikembe Mutombo holding down four of the top five spots. Note that blocks did not become an official NBA stat until the 1973-74 season.
Dikembe Mutombo – 1996, 4.5 BPG
Mutombo was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end of the floor, especially when it comes to blocking shots. The 7-foot-2, 245-lb center led the NBA with a career-best 4.5 blocks per game in 1995-96, adding 11.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 74 outings. It was the last of three consecutive seasons in which Mutombo led the league in swats, and he was rewarded with a second straight All-Star selection while finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He tallied 35 double-doubles and one triple-double (points-rebounds-blocks), swatting five or more shots in 33 contests.
Dikembe Mutombo – 1994, 4.1 BPG
Two years prior, an age-27 Mutombo appeared and started in all 82 games en route to averages of 12.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and a league-best 4.1 blocks a night. He received the first DPOY votes of his storied career, finishing third behind Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. The Democratic Republic of the Congo native recorded 41 double-doubles and three triple-doubles, all of which were points-boards-blocks, and had 30 outings with at least five blocks. Mutombo’s 336 total swats he piled up during the 1993-94 campaign are the most ever for a single season in Denver’s franchise history.
Dikembe Mutombo – 1995, 3.9 BPG
Mutombo’s third entrance on the Nuggets’ list came during the 1994-95 campaign, when the 2015 Hall of Fame inductee blocked 3.9 shots per game while appearing in all 82 games for the third straight year. He also averaged 11.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, stats that helped Mutombo win the first of four career DPOY awards in addition to a second All-Star nod and his first All-Defensive (Second Team) selection. After being taken with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft by Denver, ‘Deke’ spent five seasons in the Mile High City and produced 12.9 ppg, 12.3 rpg and 3.8 bpg in 391 contests from 1991 to 1996.
Marcus Camby – 2008, 3.6 BPG
The only name on this list other than Mutombo, Camby put up a league-leading 3.6 blocks to go along with 9.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals across 79 outings (all starts) during the 2007-08 campaign. He led the NBA in blocks for the third consecutive season, earning the second overall pick in the 1996 draft a fourth straight selection to the All-Defensive team, including back-to-back First Team honors, and finishing second to Kevin Garnett in the DPOY race. Camby enjoyed a successful 17-year career as a pro from 1996 to 2013, suiting up for the Nuggets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets. ‘The Camby Man’ was a four-time block champ and four-time All-Defensive member, and he was the 2006-07 DPOY in his fifth season in Denver at age-32.
Dikembe Mutombo – 1993, 3.5 BPG
Mutombo rounds out Denver’s list with the 3.5 blocks per game he registered during his sophomore campaign in 1992-93. At 26-years-old, he posted 13.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists across 82 games, notching 58 double-doubles and two triple-doubles, which included setting a career-best with 12 blocks. In addition to his time with the Nuggets, ‘Mt. Mutombo’ played for the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Rockets and Knicks over the course of his legendary 18-year career. He was an eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive, four-time DPOY, two-time rebounding champ, and three-time block champ between 1991 and 2009.
