June 21, 2006
Washington, D.C. - When he left Georgetown University in 1992, Alonzo Mourning (C'92) had established himself as one of the top players in history on the Hilltop and he was among the best in the country.
He was a first round pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, he played in the Olympics for the United States and he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
On Tuesday night in Dallas, however, he did something for the first time. Mourning's eight points, six rebounds and five blocked shots helped the Miami Heat, 95-92, in the sixth game of the NBA Championship. It was the first NBA title for the Heat, and the first for Mourning in a career that has seen him play in Charlotte (1992-95), Miami (1995-2003), New Jersey (2003-04) and back in Miami again.
The win on Monday night for Mourning and his teammates, however, was about more than just an NBA Championship. In many ways, it was a minor miracle for Mourning to even on the floor and contributing.
Mourning missed the entire 2002-03 season and most of the next season after undergoing a kidney transplant, something that cost him not only two years of his playing career, but was life-threatening. "I've got my cousin here," Mourning told the Miami Herald. "He's the one who donated the kidney to me. Words can't explain how grateful I am to him. I owe my life to him just saving me.
"I remember laying in the hospital and feeling like a newborn baby - helpless."
Earlier this year, Mourning, along with former Georgetown center Dikembe Mutombo, was featured in a FoxSports.com story focusing on athletes who have given back to their communities. In the piece, written by Dan Neil, the former Hoya hoopsters were tabbed among the top-10 "most generous athletes," with Mutombo at No. 1 and Mourning at eighth.
"Mourning's foundation, Alonzo Mourning Charities, assists underprivileged children and their families. It spent $716,000 in 2003. The foundation helps finance 100 Black Men of South Florida, which provides educational and economic assistance for all minorities. Alonzo Mourning Charities also gives financial support to Children's Home Society of Florida in Miami, which serves abused, abandoned and neglected children, including those suffering from HIV and developmental disabilities. The foundation also delivers complete Thanksgiving meals to 333 families in South Florida communities."
Mourning is one of only four players in Georgetown history to score at least 2,000 points in his career, as he averaged 16.6 in 120 games (scoring 2,001) from 1988-92. He is third all-time in rebounding with 1,032, an 8.6 per game average and is second all-time with 453 blocks, a 3.77 average.
Mourning had his best season at Georgetown in 2001-02, averaging 21.3 points and 10.6 rebounds while leading the Hoyas to a 22-10 record and to the NCAA Tournament.
In his 13-year NBA career, Mourning has averaged 18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, earning first team all-league honors in 1998-99 and second team honors in 1999-2000. He was named the league's defensive player of the year twice (1998-99, 1999-2000) and earned a spot on the defensive first team three times (1992-93, 1998-99, 1999-2000).
