The first center forward in the post-Yao Ming era, briefly sitting in the Rockets inside line, averaging 7.5+7 per game. Do you remember?

After Yao Ming, before Asik - the center who had briefly guarded the Rockets' inside, do you still remember his name?

His name is Samuel Dalemport, and he played for the Houston Rockets in 2011–12. At that time, the Rockets were on the edge of the playoffs threshold, with familiar faces such as Kevin Martin, Scola, and Lowry in the team, while Dalemport was the last line of defense in the positional battle that year. Although his presence is far less than Yao Ming and less than Asik later, for many old Rockets fans, his name still occasionally appears in the depths of memory.

Dalemport was selected by 76ers in the 26th pick in the first round in 2001. He suffered multiple knee surgeries when he first entered the league. He only played 34 games in the rookie season and was even reimbursed for injuries throughout the second year. However, his career trajectory has not deviated too far from it. After returning from injury, Dalemport gradually grew into the main center of the 76ers, becoming the "iron man" in the interior, and was a barrier on the defensive end.

His advantage has never been not offense, but the basic skills of rebounding, basket protection and positioning. In his peak season, he had delivered comprehensive data of 10.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and was one of the inside players with high defense efficiency in the league at that time. Although his eight-year career in Philadelphia was not a brilliant one, he always worked diligently, defending the inside, and sharing the defensive pressure for core members such as Iverson.

In 2010, 76 people entered reconstruction, and Dalemport was traded to the King, and then the "Roamer" phase began. The Rockets, Bucks, Mavericks, Knicks... have been fighting for new teams every year since then. Although he had several highlights in the Rockets that year, his overall performance was mediocre and gradually faded out of the main rotation.

Outside the court, Dalemport is equally respectable. He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After the earthquake in his hometown in 2010, he went to the disaster area to assist in rescue, donating money, transporting goods, and running around the front line. Because of his selfless behavior, the NBA specially awarded him the "Outstanding Dedication Player Award". After being cut by the Knicks in 2015, his NBA career came to an end. He then went to the CBA for a short time and played for Shanxi Zhongyu Men's Basketball Team for two seasons, which can be regarded as a mark of "center visitor" in Chinese basketball.

With the decline of age and athletic ability, Delham Porter gradually faded out of the basketball world. But those days of sticking to the low post and blocking the sky are always hidden in the minds of those nostalgic fans.