Mutombo announces retirement after knee injury

The long NBA career of Houston center Dikembe Mutombo came to an end on Tuesday night when the African suffered a knee injury in the Rockets' 107-103 play-off defeat to Portland.

The 42-year-old Mutombo, known in equal measure for his shot-blocking skills on the court and his charitable works off it, crashed to the floor late in the first quarter and was stretchered off with a knee strain.

"Nobody ever thought they'd be carrying the big guy out like a wounded soldier," he said, before announcing he wouldn't be back.

"I've had a wonderful 18 years of staying injury-free, so I just want to go out with my head up, no regrets."

Mutombo played for legendary Georgetown Hoyas coach and then embarked on his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets.

He also played for Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York.

The native of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) was an eight-time all-star and leaves the game second all-time on the NBA's career blocks list with 3,289.

Despite his age, he proved to be a valuable member of the Rockets this season as a back-up to China national team center Yao Ming.

In the opening game of Houston's first-round play-off series against Portland, Mutombo had nine rebounds in 18 minutes.

His involvement with Basketball Without Borders, a joint initiative run by FIBA and the NBA, and the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, is what many people will remember most about the man.

The charitable organization was created in 1997 to improve the health, education and quality of life for people in his homeland of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The focal point of his foundation has been the construction and opening of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center, a $29 million, 300-bed hospital in Kinshasa named after his late mother that held its formal dedication ceremony in 2007.

He donated $15million to build the hospital.

Mutombo is married and has six children - four of them adopted.