Alonzo Mourning: The Definition of a True Warrior

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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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