Mutombo, who had not yet told his agent David Falk or Rockets general manager Daryl Morey of his intentions, said that a dinner conversation with former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon helped seal his decision.

"I've had a lot of time to think about it," Mutombo said. "I talked to my family. I talked to my wife and kids. And also, I went to dinner with Hakeem and he talked me into it.

"He said, 'why do you think you want to quit? You still have a lot to show. You can come in and help Yao (Ming) for 10-15 minutes. You can stick with basketball and do what you love to do.' For me, that is to play basketball and my work with my hospital."

Mutombo, 40, averaged 3.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last season. He averaged 10.4 rebounds in the 33 games Yao missed.

He will open his hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo on July 15.

With Rick Adelman only becoming Rockets coach Wednesday, Morey said the team has not entirely formed its free-agent strategy.

"Dikembe was a key part of our season last year, obviously," Morey said. "We still feel like he has good basketball ahead of him. Obviously, he's a community icon.

"I think in ways he can be very effective in his role. With coach Adelman, we're still having discussions on our philosophy and strategy going forward."