Last Updated on July 20, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Samuel Dalembert was a defensive-minded NBA center whose shot blocking, rebounding, and rim protection anchored the frontcourt for the Philadelphia 76ers and several playoff teams during the 2000s and early 2010s. An athletic interior defender, Dalembert excelled as a pick-and-roll finisher and paint protector, providing length, energy, and reliable defensive presence without requiring high offensive usage.

Here is the information on Samuel Dalembert:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Samuel Davis Dalembert
  • Nationality: Haitian-Canadian
  • Age: Born May 10, 1981
  • Hometown: Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in his youth
  • Height: 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 meters)
  • Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg) during his playing career
  • Wingspan: 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 meters)
  • Shoe Size: Size 19 (US)
  • Number: Wore #1, #10, and #21 during his career
  • Position: Center
  • High School: Lucien-Pagé High School (Montreal, Quebec, Canada); St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA)
  • College: Seton Hall University (1999–2001)
  • NBA Draft: 2001 NBA Draft, 1st Round, 26th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers
  • Teams Played For:
    • Philadelphia 76ers (2001–2010)
    • Sacramento Kings (2010–2011)
    • Houston Rockets (2011–2012)
    • Milwaukee Bucks (2012–2013)
    • Dallas Mavericks (2013–2014)
    • New York Knicks (2014–2015)
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: Known to have children, including a son and a daughter
  • Siblings: Melissa Dalembert

Player Archetype / Play Style

Samuel Dalembert’s player archetype was that of a rim-protecting, defense-first center, a long interior big whose best value came from blocking shots, rebounding, and finishing simple plays around the basket. Defensively, he operated as a paint anchor who altered attempts at the rim, covered ground well for his size, and gave teams a legitimate interior deterrent. Offensively, his role was limited but useful, centered on put-backs, dump-off finishes, pick-and-roll touches, and opportunistic scoring rather than self-created offense or passing volume. Physically, Dalembert brought a strong 6-foot-11 frame with plus length, mobility, and vertical athleticism for a center, which helped him play above the rim and recover defensively. His overall play style was energetic and functional, built on shot-blocking, rebounding, hustle finishing, and low-maintenance frontcourt play that fit best when others handled the scoring load. (NBADraft)

Scouting Report

What stands out with Samuel Dalembert is that his best defensive possessions often ended before the shot ever went up. He had a knack for arriving early as the low man, showing his body just enough to make guards hesitate before recovering back toward the rim, and that subtle timing probably saved as many baskets as the blocks everyone remembers. When he did challenge shots, he wasn’t simply swinging for highlights; he stayed patient in drop coverage, trusted his length and forced ball handlers to finish over extended arms rather than giving them clean angles at the glass. Offensively, the game was much narrower. He wasn’t someone you wanted creating from the post or making complex reads after catching in traffic. His value came from screening with purpose, diving hard out of pick-and-rolls, slipping behind ball watching defenders and keeping possessions alive with second-chance rebounds. That’s where his points came from. The trade-off was that teams could shrink the floor against him because he offered little scoring outside the paint, and when defenses crowded the lane his limited passing meant possessions could bog down if he caught the ball away from the rim. Even so, there’s something to be said for a center who understands exactly where his offense begins and ends. His ideal fit is alongside creators who can consistently force two defenders onto the ball, allowing him to live as a vertical target while anchoring the back line defensively without being asked to initiate offense. Put active perimeter defenders in front of him and his rim protection becomes much more influential because he can concentrate on timing rather than cleaning up repeated breakdowns. To me, his game shared a lot with Theo Ratliff in the way both protected the basket through anticipation instead of brute force, while also carrying shades of Chris Andersen as an interior finisher who generated offense more through movement and timing than individual shot creation.

Player Insights

Samuel Dalembert was drafted onto a Philadelphia 76ers team led by Allen Iverson. When you’re playing with Iverson, you’re playing to win. The 76ers needed a good center but they didn’t want Dalembert to be great because they wouldn’t have been able to pay him when it came time to upgrade his rookie contract. Dalembert was the ideal center for the 76ers with Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala, and Andre Miller. That Iverson-led 76ers team was one of the best NBA teams to watch in history because of all the different pieces it had that made it a special team, from the great players to everybody else. It fitted perfectly, but it wasn’t quite enough to win. 2/26/2025

Sources:

NBADraft.net — Samuel Dalembert
Basketball-Reference — Samuel Dalembert Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Sports Reference — Samuel Dalembert College Stats
Bleacher Report — Why Can’t Dallas Mavericks Rely on Samuel Dalembert?