Ignited

The Season In Review

Dancer Gallery Eleven

March 6: HEAT @ Cavaliers

MIAMI, March 7 - Second chances are hard to come by, and that’s why Alonzo Mourning is making the best of every opportunity. The 12-year pro is not only getting a second chance to help the HEAT win an NBA championship, he’s also getting another chance at life.

Almost two years after leaving the HEAT to join the New Jersey Nets, Mourning is back wearing black in Miami. This time around, he’s more passionate than ever about accomplishing one thing – bringing an NBA championship to South Florida.

“It feels good to be back home,” Mourning said. “Everything manifested the way I’d expected. Right now, it’s time to get to work, it’s time to get to winning. That’s what it’s all about right now.”

“This city and organization deserve a championship,” he continued. “They’ve gone through a lot. I was fighting tooth and nail trying to bring one here. Unfortunately, we had some bad bounces, and at the same time I was dealt some cards that were way beyond my control. I didn’t expect to get sick.

“I felt bad about that, not that I got sick but that I wasn’t able to accomplish what I was brought here for. Now this gives me the opportunity to redeem myself, not just to the HEAT but to the city of Miami.

In October of 2000, Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, an incurable kidney disease that causes the filters of the kidneys to malfunction, which prevents them from removing harmful toxins from the urine. The following year, the condition forced Zo to sit out the entire season.

Zo made his immaculate comeback the next season with the New Jersey Nets, where he was deemed the missing piece of the title puzzle for the then two-time Eastern Conference champions. But the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year would be sidelined again due to his illness.

He only played 12 games before his condition forced him to retire, and on December 19, 2003, Mourning underwent transplant surgery to replace his deteriorated kidney.

Now the seven-time NBA All-Star has a new perspective on life. Mourning has a renew passion with his second stint with the HEAT. He’s dedicated to bringing a championship to the people of South Florida, while bringing hope to everyone fighting for a second chance at life.

“I’m blessed. I can’t put it in any other words,” he said. “I look where I’ve come from, and I look at where I am now. I’m so thankful for being in the position that I’m in and for God giving me a second chance to live.

“Winning a championship is about completing a full career,” he continued. “But at the same time I know what Alonzo Mourning being on the court means to all the transplantations in the world, all the patients in the world, and to all the doctors who are trying to find a cure for this focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. I know what this means to those people, so I’ve dedicated this season to each and every one of them. I think each and every one of us needs a little hope and inspiration.”