HOUSTON - The Houston Rockets signed Dikembe Mutombo to a one-year contract on Monday, extending the 41-year-old center's NBA career into a 16th season.

Dr. Peter Hotez, right, President of Sabin Vaccine Institute, reacts as former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo, left, stands next to him onstage as their commitment to raise $25 million towards the elimination of thirteen tropical diseases is announced during the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007 in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

"I'm going to enjoy every second and every minute of my last year in the NBA," he said. "I hope my farewell tour will be a nice memorable one."

The 7-foot-2, 260-pound Mutombo ended up playing a pivotal role for Houston last season, when Yao Ming broke a bone in his right leg and missed 33 games. Mutombo started in his place and averaged five points, 10 rebounds and 1.45 blocks.

Neither Yao nor Tracy McGrady attended the team's media day at the Toyota Center.

Yao was attending the Special Olympics opening in Shanghai, his hometown, and will rejoin the team on Thursday in Austin, where the Rockets are starting training camp this week.

McGrady's grandfather recently died and McGrady is with his family in Florida. Coach Rick Adelman also expected McGrady to join the team in Austin this week.

Mutombo was frustrated by playing only 40 total minutes in the Rockets' seven-game first-round loss to Utah. He pondered retirement, but reconsidered after a three-hour conversation with former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon.

"When our chance slipped away, I was more hurt than anybody on the team," Mutombo said. "I felt like there was so much for me to prove again in this league. What do I have to come back (to)?

"Talking to him (Olajuwon) at dinner, it kind of lifted me up a little bit, because I was down," Mutombo said. "He said, 'Don't walk away from the game because you got hurt from the loss. You can stay around, even play one more year. Maybe next year can be a better one.' Something very positive came from him."

Mutombo has 3,230 career blocks and Olajuwon is the only player ahead of him on the career list. He ranks 18th in rebounds (12,127) and has finished the season among the top five rebounders nine times.

Just don't expect him to play a full game anymore.

"I'm too old to be going out there and playing 37 minutes again," he said. "I don't know what I've got left in my tanks."

Mutombo has averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 1,148 career games with Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston. General manager Daryl Morey told Mutombo that, at this point in his career, his veteran presence was more important than his statistics.

"The Rockets are really fortunate to have him as we make our deeper playoff push this year," Morey said.

Also Monday, point guard Rafer Alston said his offseason brushes with the law were blown out of proportion and said he called the team's brass to explain them.

Alston was arrested in Houston on Aug. 5 and charged with misdemeanor assault and public intoxication. He was arrested again on Aug. 28 in his native New York City and charged with allegedly slashing a man on the neck during a nightclub altercation.

Alston, 31, was arraigned before being released without bail. A judge ordered him to return to court Jan. 3.

"I'm not afraid to talk about it," Alston said. "I'm not running around here stabbing people, I'm not here shoving, spitting on people. It's amazing, the accusations. They had me in court and the judge almost laughed. They told me to go home.

His lawyer said Alston was "absolutely innocent" and Alston said the situation is not weighing on his mind as the season approaches.

"You deal with it, you grow up from it, you move on," Alston said.

Alston is signed through the 2009-10 season. But after Jeff Van Gundy was fired as coach on May 18, the team acquired point guards Mike James and Steve Francis and owner Les Alexander bluntly admitted that Alston faced pressure to perform.

"That's really a tough situation," Alexander said. "He's going to have to fight for his position."

The Rockets signed second-round draft pick Carl Landry. The 6-foot-9, 248-pound power forward was chosen by Seattle with the 31st overall pick. Houston sent a future second-round selection and cash considerations to Seattle for Landry's draft rights.

Houston also named Kenny Atkinson their director of player development.