Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is an American former professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat. Mourning played at center. His tenacity on defense twice earned him NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and perennially placed him on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
Background
Alonzo Mourning has been called a prodigy and an enigma. Through hard work and dedication, he turned from a clumsy, awkward preteen into a star professional basketball player. Mourning was one of the most sought after high school players in his graduating class. In the 1992 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, he was second only to Shaquille O’Neal. He was a part of Dream Team II, the elite basketball team that won the gold in the World Championships in 1994. Mourning played exciting games for the Miami Heat and later for the New Jersey Nets. But within a few years, Mourning became less an inspiration for his basketball skills and more for his determination to play despite a debilitating chronic kidney disease he developed. By 2003, when Mourning’s health forced him to retire, he had become a leading spokesperson for kidney health.
Career
He made a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant and later won his first NBA Championship with the Heat. He has also played for the Charlotte Hornets and New Jersey Nets. On March 30, 2009, Mourning became the first Miami Heat player to have his number retired
Mourning announced his retirement from the NBA on January 22, 2009. In his press conference he said "I'm 38 years old and I feel like I have physically done all I can for this game."
On February 28, 2009, the Miami Heat announced they would retire Mourning's number 33 jersey, making him the first Heat player to be so honored.
The jersey retirement ceremony occurred on March 30, 2009, when the Heat hosted the Orlando Magic. During the extended halftime ceremony, Mourning was introduced by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, former Georgetown University basketball coach John Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, current Heat players Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem and Heat Head Coach Pat Riley.
In May 2009, he was named to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, coaches and administrators who contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia.
On June 26, 2009, Mourning announced that he is returning to the Heat as the Vice President of Player Programs and Development. He will also mentor young players.
In April 2010, Mourning was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding high school, collegiate, and professional career as well as his commitment to volunteer service in the communities in which he has lived and work during his life.
Views
Quotations:
I can still play this game at a high level; I've proven that. I want to be home. I want to be close to my family. I want to be close to my foundation and my business interests.
(Alonzo Mourning)
I think we got to play with a sense of urgency every night for the simple fact that, I think, teams are gunning for us every night, ... People know that, 'Hey, this is the team that is expected to win it all. This is the team with Shaq and D-Wade and all these guys - G.P. and Antoine and myself - all these big names. This is the team to beat.' We're like a measuring stick for a lot of teams.
(Alonzo Mourning)
I think he has a huge upside. He has a great NBA body and now it's just a matter of him incorporating his talents into a system.
(Alonzo Mourning)
I'm coming close to being back on the court. I'm making a tremendous amount of progress.
(Alonzo Mourning)
Personality
ALONZO: I tell everybody out there, know that there's somebody out there that's got it a whole lot worse than you do that overcame it. We all have that resilience in us. It's just a matter of just tapping into to it and it's a matter of us formulating in our minds to know that we can do it and believe in it, having faith, believing. Faith is just believing, understanding that you can do it.