Nobody will argue that Alonzo Mourning was not a competitor. One of the fiercest the NBA has ever seen — just ask the players he played against. Attacking the basket with Zo on duty meant you would probably be retreating with your tail between your legs. Add to that his medical struggles, which he returned from, winning a much-deserved title eventually, and you have the story of a man who never says die.
The Miami Heat recognised that passion and service to the game with the retirement of Zo’s number yesterday. It was a ceremony that even brought a tear to the toughest of eyes.
With tears streaming from his eyes, Alonzo Mourning watched his jersey raised to the rafters by the Miami Heat on Monday night, making him the first player in the organization’s 21-year history to receive that honor.
The 43-minute ceremony featured the reading of a letter from President Barack Obama, plus brief speeches from Gov. Charlie Crist, Heat president Pat Riley, Mourning’s former Georgetown coach John Thompson and fellow former Hoya Patrick Ewing, a longtime mentor.
“Just eight short years ago, eight short years ago, I didn’t envision this moment happening,” Mourning said, moments after the gargantuan banner bearing his name and No. 33 was raised. “This is probably one of the greatest moments of my life and I’m honored to be here this evening.”
Not many would ever predicted seeing Mourning crying on a basketball court, but this time it was different.
Mourning said many of his friends were taking bets on whether he would cry, and vowed to prove them wrong by holding back the tears.
But as the speeches went on, Mourning’s eyes began to water, and tears flowed as his lips trembled when the banner was actually being hoisted.
“Y’all can go and collect your money,” Mourning said.
To be honest, I was a little shocked when I read that Mourning was the first to have his number raised by the Heat. It’s not that he is undeserving — quite the contrary. I guess I just assumed that Glen Rice would be the first to have that honour, given that he was the team’s first star and had retired before Zo. Though I assume that day will come in the not-too-distant future.
Delving into the Heat history books, Mourning owns a number of Heat records (for now, until they are all doused by Dwyane Wade). He is the team’s all-time leader in:
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Games (593)
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Minutes (17,700)
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Free Throw Attempts (3,896)
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Offensive Rebounds (1,505)
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Defensive Rebounds (3,302)
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Total Rebounds (4,807)
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Blocks (1,625)
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Turnovers (1,478) — though Wade will pass him in the next game or two!
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Win Shares (63.3)
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Defensive Win Shares (35.0)
Worth noting is Zo’s insurmountable lead in blocks. Mourning is first, daylight is second, Rony Seikaly is third on 610; more than 1,000 behind. The nearest active Heat player is Wade, of course, sitting fourth (374), behind Shaquille O’Neal (384). So there is no chance of anyone passing Mourning in the near future — despite the amazingness of DWade.
However, to focus on the statistics would be to miss the true essence of Zo, the Georgetown Hoya who entered the game when centres were real men — dominant figures to be feared on a nightly basis. In the following years he matched up against fellow alumni Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo, as well as David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, draft-mate O’Neal, amongst numerous other quality bigs. None of them was any more imposing than Mourning, on or off the court.
Known for his stern demeanour, he was also known for his heart, conducting countless amounts of charity work. This was not lost on Obama in his message to Mourning:
“I wanted to let you know how proud we all are of your extraordinary career, but also the way you have given back to the community all these years,” Obama wrote to Mourning. “You have been, and will continue to be, a great leader. God bless you and your family.”
