Dikembe Mutombo

Underdogs in every sense of the word, the Denver Nuggets faced a hefty, never-before-accomplished task of trying to conquer a No. 1 seed in the Round 1, and one with only four home losses all season. Many would call it a mountainous task, one unlike any ever seen in the Rocky Mountains — but for a player known affectionately as “Mount Mutombo,” climbing to the top proved to be attainable nonetheless. Heeding his own advice of “getting comfortable” in an opponent’s house, Dikembe Mutombo made himself the landlord, padlocking the green-painted area on the Seattle SuperSonics’ home floor, first by denying Detlef Schrempf, and then by rejecting the sometimes-unstoppable Shawn Kemp. Finding it once difficult to picture winning the series, Mutombo proved to be the series’ lasting image, sprawled out on the floor in joy, embracing the basketball through a famous, wide-as-can-be smile. Stamping a spot through history in leading the first-ever No. 8 seed upset, the future Hall of Fame conquered the stage on May 7, 1994 through a near triple-double, contributing eight points, 15 rebounds, and eight blocks.

Top Shot Debut