Mourning Retires

Alonzo Mourning, who was remembered for helping the Miami Heat into successful seasons and being a 7-time All-Star, has announced his retirement. Mourning spent 15 seasons in the NBA, with the Charlotte Hornets, the Heat and the New Jersey Nets. Mourning was drafted by the Hornets in the 1992 NBA Draft second overall.

After a couple of seasons with the Hornets, Heat coach Pat Riley brought Mourning in through a trade. From that moment on, the Heat became contenders in the Eastern Conference every year. When Michael Jordan retired before the strike-shortened 1999 season, many thought it was the Heat's turn to win a championship. They had the top seed in the Eastern Conference but were stunned in the first round by the New York Knicks, who eventually became the first #8 seed to advance to the NBA Finals after wins against the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers.

In 2000, Mourning was diagnosed with a career-threatening kidney disease that forced him to miss most of the 2000-2001 season. His kidney disease worsened over time, forcing him to miss the 2002-2003 season. He received a kidney transplant in 2003, and after the transplant, he continued to play. Mourning won a championship with the Heat in 2006 as a backup to center Shaquille O'Neal. In 2007, Mourning suffered a devastating knee injury. He tried to come back from it, but decided to give it up and retire.

At the time Mourning was playing at his best, there were centers in the NBA who were dominant also. Patrick Ewing of the Knicks and Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers were playing very well. So were Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets and David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs. While Mourning's offensive game was not up to par like those other centers, his defense and his tenacity was unmatched. Mourning gave his all in every game, and many Heat fans will miss that. Mourning, in my opinion, should definitely be in the Hall of Fame.