Alonzo Mourning #33 Retired Jersey
Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 2006 NBA champion with the Miami Heat.
Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served since 2009 as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat. Mourning played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Heat. Nicknamed "Zo", he played center. He twice won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and was twice named to the NBA All-Defensive Team. After undergoing a kidney transplant, he made a comeback and won the 2006 NBA championship with the Heat. He also played for the Charlotte Hornets and New Jersey Nets. On March 30, 2009, Mourning became the first Miami Heat player to have his number retired. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2019.
Quick Facts
- Tenure with heat
- 1995–2003, 2005–2008 (two stints)
Lore & Background
Mourning led the nation in total blocked shots (169) and blocks per game (5.0) as a freshman, setting NCAA records for a freshman at that time. He finished his college career with 453 blocked shots, ranking first all-time in NCAA history at that time. He was selected second overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. On November 3, 1995, the Hornets traded him to the Miami Heat. He signed a seven-year, $105 million contract with the Heat in July 1996. Mourning won his first Defensive Player of the Year award in the 1998–99 season after leading the league in blocks with 3.9 per game, and won it again in 1999–2000 after leading the league with 3.7 blocks per game.
Reader's Guide
Mourning played center. He was known for his tenacity on defense. He led the nation in blocked shots as a freshman, not as a sophomore or junior. He was a Consensus First-Team All-American and Big East Conference Player of the Year as a senior. He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year three times: as a freshman (1988–89), as a sophomore (1989–90, sharing with Dikembe Mutombo), and as a senior (1991–92).
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