Mutombo: 'I was ready to come'

Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo, who was signed by Houston as an unrestricted free agent on Dec. 31, had some strong words concerning the pursuit the Celtics reportedly made to land him.

Mutombo was asked what Boston's mindset was in regards to bringing the big man to Boston.

"That is a good question that you all should be asking the Celtics," Mutombo shot back in his trademark gravelly voice. "In the last minute, expecially on the 24th and the 25th (of December), I was feeling like I was not the only one they were looking at. It kind of discouraged me a little bit. I said, OK, I have about seven organizations here that want me, and this organization that I thought wanted me (the Celtics), but they are looking at somebody else. Should I be on the waiting list, or should I go and take another offer that was there on the table? And I think that with other teams calling day and night saying, 'Hey man we want you here,' it was like, OK, let me go and be with a team that wants me to be a part of their family."

Mutombo rattled off a list of names of players, in his mind, the Celtics clearly wanted more than him.

"I read about Alonzo [Mourning], I read about Joe Smith, I read about P.J. Brown. I was like, OK, I'm not going to be in the middle of this.

"I was ready to come to this cold city, but this city was not ready for me."