Former Sixer Dikembe Mutombo dwarfs Seahawks' D.K. Metcalf in viral photo

The picture shared on Instagram underscores just how imposing the Hall of Famer must have been on the court

Few NBA big men are as beloved as the towering Dikembe Mutombo, whose dominance as a shot blocker and rebounder made him one of the league's most feared court generals over a career that spanned 18 seasons.

The Congolese-American is remembered fondly in Philadelphia for his role on the magical 2000-2001 Sixers team that reached the NBA Finals behind the grit of Allen Iverson in his MVP prime. On a team comprised mostly of role players, Mutombo gave the Sixers some imposing size in the post and a pretty mean, signature hook shot to boot. 


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Mutombo's time with the Sixers was short-lived and he's best-known for his years with the Atlanta Hawks, but his finger-wagging stint in Philly helped define a peak in franchise history.

Mutombo has remained an ambassador for the NBA and is a respected figure in the wider world of professional sports. He recently posed for a photo with Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and put in perspective just how massive he is next to even the most impressive athletes of the present (h/t BroBible).

Mutombo was officially listed at 7 feet 2 inches and 260 pounds during his playing career. Metcalf, whose insanely muscular build raised eyebrows ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, stands 6 feet 4 inches and 235 pounds. For comparison, Joel Embiid is about 7 feet even and 280 pounds.

If you were to encounter Metcalf on his own, you'd be floored by his otherworldly fitness, but Mutombo makes him appear like a regular guy.

Next to Allen Iverson, who had a slight 6 foot frame, Mutombo's size always seemed pretty consistent with expectations. Beside Metcalf, even another four inches doesn't put much of a dent in Mutombo's perch.

Granted, football and basketball are sports with very different skill sets. You wouldn't see a 7-footer on an NFL field. Former Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael is 6 feet 8 inches, making him one of the tallest NFL players in league history behind former Ravens lineman Jonathan Ogden, who's 6 feet 9 inches. 

In the NBA, the late former Sixer Manute Bol was 7 feet 7 inches, and the late Libyan basketball player Suleiman Ali Nashnush was 8 feet tall.

Mutombo made it into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, cementing him as a generational NBA player. Metcalf has been stuck in the heads of Philly fans since the 2019 NFL playoffs, when he threw up a peace sign to the stadium after a game-sealing midfield catch at Lincoln Financial Field. Maybe if he's not keen on the Seahawks' rebuild and hits free agency next year, Mutombo will put in a good word for the city.