Bleacher Report - Articles by Pedro Heizer

Miami Heat Acquire Quentin Richardson

Pedro Heizer — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:47:46 -0400

Finally! A significant offseason move for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. People in Heat Nation were waiting for this moment more than the Boston Celtics were waiting to win the championship.

The Heat, making their first significant move of the summer, acquire guard/forward Quentin Richardson from the Timberwolves. In return, the T-Wolves get a reunion with center Mark Blount.

Blount, a ine-year NBA Veteran, was acquired by the Heat along with Ricky Davis from the Timberwolves on Oct. 24, 2007 in exchange for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien, and a conditional first-round draft choice. In two seasons with the Heat, Blount appeared in 89 games (46 starts) and averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 19.7 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, 39.4 percent from three-point range, and 63.6 percent from the foul line.

I believe this is the final stop for Q-Rich this summer. His summer started by being dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies in a draft night trade for Darko Milicic. Later, he was subsequently dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers on July 17 for Zach Randolph and then to the Timberwolves on July 20 for Mark Madsen, Craig Smith, and Sebastian Telfair. Talk about change of scenery. Do remember, he ended the season with the New York Knicks.

Pat Riley said it best, "Over the course of his career, he has proven to be a fierce competitor, a great locker room presence, and a very prolific three-point shooter who may be one of the strongest perimeter players in the NBA. We feel that he will be able to match-up well against the top scorers in the league."

I agree, this trade was a steal for us. We traded a seldom used Mark Blount for a very high caliber player in Q-Rich. This is basically payback for us from 2007 when we were robbed by the T-Wolves.

Heat Nation and myself are not the only ones celebrating this acquisition..."Who would of ever thought we would play 2gether. Let's get it," Wade wrote on his Twitter feed today. YES! Wade is happy (for now). The next thing that will make him happy should be getting Allen Iverson...but you didn't hear that from me.

A Tale Of Two Cities

Pedro Heizer — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:45:33 -0400

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”

This is a story of two cites, Miami, the night life, known for its Heat; Orlando, the city where joy is abundant, known for its Magic. When someone is first told of Miami and of Orlando they always think those two things, Heat and Magic. Heat—south beach, clubs, and the night life and the Magic—Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, the joy in the face of the people.

When the city of Miami decided back in 1987 that they wanted an NBA franchise, it seemed fit to call it the Miami Heat. Likewise, in 1988 when the city of Orlando decided it would also want an NBA franchise, the Orlando Magic seemed fit.

The Heat and the Magic were two of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Initially, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams, with one franchise going to Florida; however, when both Miami and Orlando ownership groups made successful pitches, the expansion committee decided to expand by four teams, allowing both to have a franchise of their own.

Two franchises came on board for the 1988 Season (Miami and Charlotte) and then in 1989 Orlando and Minnesota came along.

Both franchises had two players by the names of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, although Hardaway played only 16 games for the Heat. O’Neal, played his first four NBA season with the Magic, where he took them to the NBA Finals in 1995 but was swept by the Houston Rockets. Likewise, O’Neal played four seasons in Miami where he took them to the NBA Finals and won.

Both the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic have had their shares of “roller-coaster” seasons. They both have had it’s highs, with Miami winning the NBA Championship in 2006, and the Magic winning the Eastern Conference twice (1995, 2009). And both have had its low, with Miami’s two 15-win seasons (1988, 2008), and the Magic having it’s low seasons after the departures of O’Neal and T-Mac.

Both the Magic and the Heat had their worst seasons after the departure of Shaquille O’Neal.

When a greedy O’Neal left the Magic as a free agent in 1996, they went from a 60-22 record in the 1995-1996 Season to 45-37 in the following year. Not a terrible record, and it was still good enough to make the playoffs but that team lost to the Miami Heat.

Miami on the other hand, after hitting the all-time high in 2006, had a mediocre 2007 season going 44-38 and were swept by a much more athletic team in the Chicago Bulls.

Then, in 2008, things got ugly. Many argue that O’Neal simply gave up on Pat Riley and the Heat. Riley couldn’t swallow the fact that O’Neal had the audacity to do that and traded him halfway through that horrible season to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The drama didn’t end with O’Neal’s departure. Miami finished the season with a 15-67 record and O’Neal still whined about how “bad” the Miami Heat and it's fan treated him during his four-year stay.

Both the Heat and the Magic also had one coach in common. Stan Van Gundy was the coach of the Miami Heat for two and a half seasons (Van Gundy resigned from his position as Heat head coach on December 12, 2005). With a 112-73 record as the Miami Heat head coach, he took them to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2004 and to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005.

Now, as the head coach of the Orlando Magic, he has a 111-53 in only two seasons and has the Magic in the NBA Finals.

Presently, it’s 2009 and both the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic have had a renaissance of sorts. Orlando has its new superman in Dwight Howard. And Miami has its flash in Dwyane Wade with a great supporting cast.

Miami was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this season but it was a great turn around. Orlando on the other hand, is having a terrific season. Making it's second trip to the NBA finals in franchise history this season, Howard and the Magic hope to stun the Lakers and win its first NBA championship.

Who knows what happens in the next 20 years of basketball down in Florida? But for now, let’s enjoy the Magic in the Finals and the rebirth of the Miami Heat.

For Whom Should Heat Fans Cheer: Orlando or Cleveland?

Pedro Heizer — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:50:09 -0400

It seems hard to believe that the 2008-2009 NBA season is almost over. For Dwyane Wade and the Heat, it has ended for the past two weeks. But the same can not be said to King James and his men.

LeBron is in pursuit of that elusive first NBA championship. He knows that the only way to have his name in the same sentence as Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson is by winning a championship.

The question that rises now is "For whom should Miami Heat fans cheer?" LeBron and the Cavaliers? Or Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic?

When talking to some fans about this, home-state pride was a big factor as to why they are cheering for the Magic. Others, like myself, want to see Stan Van Gundy win the eastern conference and go to the finals, a place he almost took with the Heat in 2005, and prove that he deserves to be a coach in this league.

But, there’s that small few that have a ridiculous reason as to why they are cheering for the Magic. They hope that, in the summer of 2010, LeBron will come to Miami. As a Heat fan myself, I do not see this happening, even if he loses tonight. If there’s one place James will be heading, it's New York. But all of that relies on him leaving Cleveland, which I also don’t see happening.

Miami doesn’t need a player of James’ caliber. I agree that LeBron is a monster, but Pat Riley would much rather get Chris Bosh than LeBron. Bosh is a power forward and James is a small forward, a position reserved for Michael Beasley.

So, with that being said, here are my reasons as to why Miami Heat fans should cheer for the Magic

State prides should be a big reason.
Another huge reason should be the fact that Heat fans are tired of seeing and hearing the Lebron James Media love-fest. Yes, you all know what I’m talking about: LeBron the MVP? That’s ridiculous! Dwyane Wade clearly had the best season compared to LeBron. Wade took a team that only won 15 games the previous season to a fifth seed playoff team the next. The media didn’t give the MVP to the right person this season. And, for that, I am cheering to see the “MVP” and “Coach of the Year” out.
Stan Van Gundy is another person that was robbed of an award. The Coach of the Year award clearly should be in Van Gundy’s house right now, not Mike Brown’s. I understand that the Cavaliers had the best record in the league, but that doesn’t mean he automatically should win Coach of the Year. In just he second season, Stan Van Gundy is one win away from taking the Orlando Magic to the Finals (the first time since they were swept by the Rockets).

Those three reasons should be enough for any Heat fan to cheer against the Cavaliers. Let’s see the king and his men be dethroned tonight in Orlando.

Eliminated from Playoffs, Miami Heat Begin Search for Missing Pieces

Pedro Heizer — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:05:13 -0400

Last year when I wrote the last article of the season, it was a win over the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks. This year, the last post of the season will be on a lost to those same Atlanta Hawks. But this time, it was on a Game Seven of the NBA Playoffs, a place no one believed Miami could be after only one year.

Miami was blown out by the Hawks in Game Seven, 91-78.

"I'm very encouraged by this season," Dwyane Wade said. "The team that won 15 games last year came back to win 43 games this year and took [No. 4 seeded] Atlanta to seven games in the playoffs. We've got something to build on.''

Heat fans should also be encouraged by this season. They lost in the first round, but as Pat Riley said last season, "We're not going into next season thinking we're going from 15 wins and go to 25 [wins]. No, next year we're shooting for the playoffs," and he delivered his promise.

He never said Miami would win the championship. All he said was Miami would make the playoffs, and they did. Now, there are many more pieces of the puzzle to be filled.

To begin, Miami needs help for Wade. No, Michael Beasley coming off the bench didn't help much in the playoffs, except for Game Six. Miami needs more firepower.

What does that mean? Easy, they need a reliable three-point specialist. They need a Jason Kapono-type of guy who can come in off the bench and drop a three from the corner with 10 seconds left. Miami was 4-for-19 from behind the arc during Game Seven.

Miami needs size in the center position. Yes, Jermaine O'Neal is great. I'm not saying he's not. But, we do need a reliable backup center who can come in and change the momentum of the game.

I hate to say it, but Miami needs an Alonzo Mourning-type of player. (Giving examples of players we had and let go makes me sad). But yes, Miami needs someone of that caliber. Jamaal Magloire is good, but not great.

What should Heat fans expect in the offseason? Should they expect a blockbuster trade? No and yes. I don't see Pat Riley pulling the trigger on many blockbuster trades.

Riley could pull the trigger on one blockbuster that would include shipping Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem to the Toronto Raptors for Chris Bosh. But that's yet to be seen. If it happens, we could see an immediate impact to the roster.

Spoelstra would have Beasley play small forward and Bosh play power forward. He would have O'Neal at center and Wade and Chalmers in their regular places. That alone would be a great trade. It would leave Miami to bring Jamario Moon, Daequan Cook, and James Jones to come off the bench. Those players are important to Miami, but the Heat need them to come off the bench, not start.

This is one of my favorite times of the basketball year. The offseason, where champions or losers are made. Miami was a loser in the 2007 offseason, a winner in the 2008 offseason, and what about 2009? Only time will tell...

Heat Torch Hawks By 26, Game 7 Here We Come

Pedro Heizer — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:05:05 -0400

“He was a titan tonight,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dwyane Wade.

As usual Wade did a little of everything. Wade, the do-it-all guard for the Heat, was all over the floor. He had two blocks, five rebounds, and 41 points. Is he back to his normal self?

Miami came out with a sense of urgency. Being behind 3-2 in the series, there was not margin for error in the Heat’s part. Miami fell behind only once and that was by one point. Miami saw themselves go ahead by 15 in the opening quarter. Their lead grew to as much as 30 at one time. The Hawks tried to crawl back in the game during the second quarter by getting as close as nine points, but they never reached any closer.

Wade spent two days imploring his teammates to match the Hawks’ challenge. He mentioned Beasley by name, asking the rookie to live up to his star billing. Beasley scored 22 points and grabbed 15 boards. It seems as if he listened to his captain’s orders. Before this game, Beasley was in a huge slump scoring a total of 46 points in the first five games combined.

Now, on to game seven. Atlanta, as you can recall, lost a game seven last season against the Celtics. But, that was a complete different story. Celtics were the number one seed and the Hawks were the number 8. This time around, Atlanta has home court.

When asked by a reporter if there is any type of pressure to go into the Phillips Arena for game seven, Wade coolly responded, “No pressure on us, we are the underdogs in the series” he also added, “We are going to come out and play aggressive [basketball]“.

Erik Spoelstra believes “We have got to maintain this edge, whatever it takes”. And he is right; the entire series have been decided by double digits. The team that comes out aggressive wins. Atlanta’s wins have been by 26, 10 and 15 points. The Heat have prevailed by 15, 29, and 26 points.

Will Sunday be the game that everyone has been waiting for? A tight nail-biter or will it be another blow-out? Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain, King James and his knights are watching… Waiting.

Notes: Wade finished 16-of-17 from the foul line. Jermaine O’Neal didn’t play at all, thanks to a concussion suffered when Pachulia struck him during Game Five.

The Race2MVP Version 2.0

Pedro Heizer — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:18:18 -0400

Every week, The Heat Blog has its race to MVP rankings. And this week is no different.

Some great things have happened in the NBA this week and it will reflect on the rankings this week.

1. Dwyane Wade: Miami Heat: Record 41-36

This is indeed you house Mr. Wade. Wade averaged 30 PPG, 4 RPG, 7APG, and 2 SPG this week. Wade’s Heat clinched a playoff spot with its win over the Charlotte Bobcats on April 3. With the win, Miami became the first team since the 1969 San Diego Rockets to go from 15 wins to the playoffs the next season. Nothing short of amazing.

“It’s a big step for our franchise, and for Pat Riley and Micky Arison,” first-year coach Erik Spoelstra said. “To put this team together after last season, it’s a big step…with that said; we don’t want to stop just with this.”

“It’s a huge accomplishment for this team to come back after that season and not really make huge, huge changes," Wade said.

2. Dwight Howard: Orlando Magic: Record 57-19

Kudos to Howard and the Magic for blowing away the Cavaliers on Friday. Howard is having a sensational season and some could argue that he should have more respect as a legitimate MVP candidate, at least that’s what people in Orlando have told me.

In their victory over the Cavs, Howard had 20 points, 11 Rebounds and 3 Blocks. I do not think putting him second is a far off idea. I know for a fact he is the most dominant Big-Man in the NBA right now. Don’t give me this Shaquille O’Neal talk of him doing great…he’s not. Look at where the Suns are right now.

3. LeBron James: Cleveland Cavaliers: Record 61-15

Oh LeBron… Here’s a little rule I have in these rankings. If you lose to the Kings, Clippers, Thunder, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Warriors, OR the Wizards, you move down in the rankings automatically. Sorry, those are the rules.

LeBron had a decent week averaging 27 PPG, 9 RPG, and 7 APG. But there are two things on my mind that made me bring him down one spot. First and foremost, the Cavaliers lost to the Washington Wizards.

And don’t give me that “Oh they are good now, they have Arenas back.” That’s baloney. And then, the second reason is they were humiliated in Orlando when they were down by as much as 41 and lost by 29. Do I need to say more?

4. Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers: Record 60-16

The current MVP is having a good season but I do not see him getting back-to-back MVP’s. One of the main reasons I don’t see it is because the Lakers are proving one and for all that they don’t rely on Kobe Bryant to win games. Kobe trusts his teammates more; he dished out 5.3 APG this week.

While his points per game are in the mid 20s it can't be compared if you looked at the Kobe of the past you would have never seen him have that many assists in a season, let alone a week. Don’t get me wrong, Kobe is still one of the greatest closers in the game, but He is not that valuable to his team or the league as much.

5. Chris Paul: New Orleans Hornets: Record 47-28

I know that Paul is not getting the props he deserves but I just don’t see him getting the MVP this season. Last season, I had him winning it over Kobe, but this season it’s a battle between LeBron, and Wade (I believe that Kobe, for me, has left the MVP conversation).

Paul averaged 29 PPG and 12 APG this week. He’s the purest point guard in the NBA right now and I see him getting an MVP in his future, but like I said, not this year.

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Second Is Better Than First (In Miami, at Least)

Pedro Heizer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:27:39 -0400

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Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal have always been compared to one another. O’Neal went first in the 1992 NBA Draft, and Zo went second.

O’Neal won the Rookie of the Year award, Alonzo came in second. Then, when Shaquille O’Neal came to Miami, he was number one and Zo, once again, was second.

But last night, all that was changed. Alonzo Mourning became the first Miami HEAT player to have his jersey retired by the franchise. That is one feat that O’Neal will never have.

A big reason for the is because every time he leaves a team, he talks bad about them. He leaves Orlando, “Penny Hardaway was terrible.”

He leaves Los Angeles, “Kobe is a drama King."

He leaves Miami, “The HEAT organization hated me, Ron Culp was the worst. Don’t get me started with Ricky Davis and Chris Quinn...”

Many fans in those towns don’t like him anymore so much and those organizations would be foolish to retire his number.

Sure, he’s a future Hall of Famer, and is one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, that doesn’t give you the right to bad-mouth your former teams.

Yet, people keep comparing O’Neal and Zo as if Alonzo is inferior to O’Neal… So let’s compare, shall we?

Alonzo Mourning:

- NBA Champion
- All NBA First and Second Team
- 2-time defensive player of the year
- 7-time NBA all-star
- Led the NBA in blocked shots (3.91 BPG) in 1999
- Won Olympic Gold in 2000
- J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2002

Shaquille O’Neal

- 4-time NBA Champion
- NBA MVP in 2000
- NBA Rookie of the year
- 3-time Finals MVP
- 2-time NBA Scoring Champion
- 3-time All-Star game MVP
- 15-time All-Star
- Won Olympic Gold in 1996

If you were to compare these two players, O’Neal’s resume seems like it overshadows all of Alonzo’s, but in reality, there is one award Zo has gotten that Shaquille O’Neal will never get: The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

This is an award given to the player, coach, or trainer who shows “Outstanding service and dedication to the community.” That is one award O’Neal will never get.

Alonzo was drafted by the Hornets, then traded to the HEAT and then left Miami and went to New Jersey. After that, New Jersey sent him to Toronto where Mourning refused to play and had his contract bought out so he had the chance to come back to his true home, Miami.

Upon his return to Miami, Zo was not the Starting Center for the HEAT, he was in fact number two behind O’Neal.

Every time I remember Alonzo, I will remember the Beowulf-like qualities he had. He was a warrior unlike any other. Not even the Big Shaqctus can be compared to Mourning.

O’Neal never had to go through a kidney transplant, he doesn’t have the slightest idea what it’s like to be number 2 all his career. But Last night, Alonzo was, and forever will be, number one.

On behalf of all Miami HEAT fans out there, I would like to thank you, Alonzo Mourning. You will forever be remembered by not only your work on the hardwood, but for you sharable work you will always do.

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There Can Only Be One...NBA Most Valuable Player

Pedro Heizer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:13:41 -0400

There has been so much hype this season as to who will be the 2009 NBA MVP.

People call this a two-way battle between Kobe and LeBron, but I call this a three-way battle among Kobe, Lebron, and Wade.

Kobe, a three time NBA champion, and the reigning MVP.

Lebron, an All-Star, Rookie of the Year in 2005, and took his team to a NBA Finals but did not deliver.

Wade, an All-Star, NBA Champion, Finals MVP, and the current leading scorer.

All of these players have a great chance of becoming the MVP, but there can only be one.

People say LeBron has this title in the bag, I highly disagree. I believe Dwyane Wade should win the MVP award, not because I’m a Miami Heat fan, but because I’m a writer who looked at all the possibilities and Wade is the clear choice to win.

Not only is Wade having the best season of his career, but he’s carrying his young inexperienced Miami Heat to a playoffs, one year after they were the laughing stock of the league.

Last time that happened was in 1969 when the San Diego Rockets went from 15 wins to the playoffs the next season, with a player by the name of Pat Riley.

Most might disagree with my pick, but the numbers don’t lie and they certainly don’t tell the whole story.

Wade is averaging career highs in almost every single category. He’s the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA, with 1.36 blocks per game. He also leads the league with 29 points per game.

Apparently that’s not enough for the people at ESPN and Sports Illustrated with their “MVP Watch”. Both sites have Wade at fourth and fiftth respectively.

Who’s No. 1 and No. 2? LeBron and Kobe. Why is that? I’ll explain.

These people don’t understand the name of the award is Most Valuable PLAYER not Most Valuable TEAM. If the name of the award was most valuable team, then yes, Los Angeles or Cleveland would win.

Here’s my issue with this, if you trade Kobe from the Lakers or LeBron from the Cavs, their teams will still make the playoffs.

Now, if you trade Wade from the Heat, Miami would meltdown and not make the playoffs.

Why is that? Well simple really, L.A. and Cleveland have very good players. Any starters on those teams could easily become an All-Star on most other teams. Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and Mo Williams, just to name a few, are all All-Star caliber players.

Who does Miami have besides Wade? One might say Michael Beasley. Well if he’s such a great player, why is he in the bench? He’s still the second leading scorer on the team behind Wade.

Someone else might say Mario Chalmers, the 34th pick in the draft, who leads all rookies in steals and ranks fourth in the league with 1.99 steals per game. But look at those two players—they are rookies.

All this comes down to one thing, the Heat are very young and still seemed poised to make the playoffs. Wade is their leader, everyone looks to him for guidance. No doubt Wade is the Heat’s MVP but he is not getting the national attention he deserves.

This brings me to my next point. Teams like Boston, New Orleans, Detroit, Cleveland, and Los Angeles are on TNT and ESPN every other week.

Miami has had around five games nationally televised games. If Miami was on the national stage more often, people outside of Florida would be able to see Wade and his complete domination.

Not many people can grasp the greatness that is Dwyane Wade. So, as a treat, let’s compare Wade, Kobe and LeBron:

LeBron: 28.3 PPG, 7.3 APG, 1.72 SPG, 1.2 BPG

Kobe: 27.2 PPG, 5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.46 BPG

Wade: 29.8 PPG (League Leader), 7.5 APG, 2.27 SPG, 1.36 BPG (Leads all guards)

As you can clearly see, Wade has the upper hand in all of the major categories, therefore, he deserves the MVP award.

Not only because he has the best stats compared to LeBron and Kobe, but neither Lebron nor Kobe have the weight Wade has on his shoulders—carrying a bunch of rookies to a playoff berth.

Wade’s Heat are 41-36 this season. Last season Miami was 15-67. Besides the Celtics of last year, Miami is having one of the best turnarounds in NBA history and by far the best in Heat history.

It’s irritating to see people give the MVP award out to players only because of their teams record. It’s not fair when said player is not the most valuable for said teams' success. You can’t just give it to a players because of that reason.

Last season, Kobe truly was the Most Valuable Player to the league. but this season neither Kobe nor LeBron are as VALUABLE to the NBA as Wade is.

Wade is one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA. You can never count out the Heat when they have Wade playing for them. No one can argue with that. Wade is the true MVP.

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Alonzo Mourning: The Definition of a True Warrior

Pedro Heizer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:54:47 -0400

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This is to a Miami Heat legend and a true definition of a Warrior, Alonzo Mourning. He's the one basketball player I look up to with high respect, not only for what he has done on the hardwood floor for the past 15 years, but for his involvement with charities and youth organizations.

To begin, I believe it’s only appropriate to give you a highlight of Zo’s playing career:

- An All-American at Georgetown

- 2nd Overall draft pick in the 1992 NBA Draft (Behind Shaquille O’Neal)

- All–NBA Rookie first team

- Seven-Time NBA All-Star

- Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year

- Gold Medal from 2000 Olympics in Sidney

- NBA Champion in 2006

- HEAT all-time leader in points scored (9,459), minutes played (17,700)

Nothing short of amazing, players dream of having stats like those of Mourning. But, in his book Resilience: Faith, Focus, and Triumph, Alonzo says he does not want to be remembered by his stats on the court, but for his community service and charities.

For his tireless efforts as a community leader, he received the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for the 2001-'02 season and twice was a recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award (Jul. 2006 and Jul. 2008.)

He founded Alonzo Mourning Charities to raise money for various organizations, including the Overtown Youth Center, that support abused and neglected children, as well as children who live in at-risk situations.

Zo’s Summer Groove, his foundation’s main fund-raising event, has raised around $7 million in its 12 years and Zo’s Fund For Life, which he formed during the 2001-'02 season, has raised $2 million for kidney research, and to help provide medication to families that cannot afford it.

Prior the start of the 2000-'01 season, Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a disease of the kidneys.

Mourning would eventually come back that same season believing he was healed from the disease, but his condition worsened, and Mourning did not play during the entire 2002-'03 season.

But the Heat didn't re-sign him.

That summer, he went to find a job elsewhere.

The Spurs and the Nets were pushing to get him, and he decided to sign a four-year contract with the New Jersey Nets. But on Nov. 25, 2003 Mourning retired from the NBA due to complications from his kidney disease.

On Dec. 19 of that year, after finding a donor in his cousin Jason Cooper, he underwent a successful kidney transplant.

Alonzo then came back to the Nets but was not happy playing for a team that was rebuilding, and did want to come back to the NBA to be part of a rebuilding team.

With that, the Nets traded him to Toronto for Vince Carter. Mourning did not like the idea of playing with the Raptors and went from a bad team, to a worse team.

His agent and the Raptors brass worked out a buy-out of his contract and with that, he was free to re-sign with the Heat on Mar. 1, 2005.

His role was reduced as a backup because of superstar Shaquille O’Neal. That year, the Heat made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost game seven at home to the Detroit Pistons.

The following year, Miami began in a slump, after which, coach Van Gundy resigned. Future Hall of Famer Pat Riley took the reigns of the team.

That year, as Heat fans all around the world know, Miami won it’s first championship in franchise history. During the 2006 playoffs, as a bench player, Mourning averaged four PPG, three RBP, and two BPG. He appeared in 21 games that postseason.

In 2007, Mourning announced he would return for one more year with the Heat and his 15th season.

“It will definitely be my last year," Mourning said.

After starting the season on a solid note averaging six points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.75 blocks in just over 16 played per 24 games, Mourning tore his patellar tendon in his right knee on Dec. 19 during the first quarter of a 117-111 OT loss in Atlanta.

From that day on, Mourning had been rehabilitating his knee in hopes for a return to the HEAT for on final season, but Jan. 22, 2009 marks the end of an era of Heat basketball, an era that started over a decade ago in 1995.

I, like any Heat fan should be doing, am applauding Alonzo for all the blood, sweat, and tears he has put into the game of basketball. Who can forget those heated rivalries between the Knicks and the Heat?

Who can forget Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy hanging on Alonzo’s leg during an argument between him and Patrick Ewing?

So many memories I have of Mourning, but the one that will always stick with me is when he battled back from kidney transplant and defied all the odds and again played in the NBA. Like his book says he was not back, but beyond.

From now on, every time Heat fans go inside the American Airlines Arena, they will be welcomed by the No. 33.

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