Mourning's NBA career over

[sunsfn]

Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey -- Alonzo Mourning's NBA career is over.


The seven-time All-Star center will soon need a kidney transplant and will no longer be able to play professional basketball, New Jersey Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn announced on Monday morning.


"It is with great sadness that I make this announcement," Thorn said. "Alonzo is a true champion and a very courageous athlete who attempted to defy the odds with his comeback to the NBA. Unfortunately, his medical condition will not allow him to continue his basketball career. Our thoughts and prayers are with him as he continues his fight against this disease."


The team said Mourning needs a transplant "in the near future" and that a nationwide search is under way for a prospective donor.


The 33-year-old Mourning left the Miami Heat and signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Nets last July despite missing the entire 2002-03 season with a kidney disease.


In 2000, Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a disease that causes chronic kidney failure within a decade in more than half of the people diagnosed.


Dr. Gerald Appel of Columbia University Medical Center said Mourning's kidney function has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks.


"It is no longer medically safe for him to play basketball," Appel said. "Although he still feels well, the chemical imbalances in his blood make it dangerous for him to play."


Mourning played in 12 games for the Nets this season, averaging a disappointing 8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. His career averages were 20.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game coming into this season.


He was in his 12th season in the NBA, having previously played for the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. He also was a member of the 2000 gold medal-winning Team USA Olympic squad.

 

[SweetD]

Sorry to hear it is over for him. Good luck Zo.

 

[jbeecham]

Luckily for the Nets their insurance will be paying 80% of his $22 million. Now thier center rotation is back to Jason Collins and Aaron Williams.

I'm glad we didn't even try to sign Zo.

 

[elindholm]

Anyone think the Nets might be interested in Trybanski?

 

[jbeecham]

or Archibald.........we'll take a 2nd rd pick for either one.

 

[SirStefan32]

Poor Zo.

 

[jbeecham]

I bet Kenyon Martin & Richard Jefferson feel bad about making fun of Zo's kidney now.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by jbeecham
I bet Kenyon Martin & Richard Jefferson feel bad about making fun of Zo's kidney now.

That's exactly what I was thinking, but I didn't realize Richard Jefferson had been a part of it. Kenyon Martin is a jackass.

Joe Mama

 

[schutd]

Background info please...

 

[scotsman13]

during the game on saterday, they said that kmart and zo had gotten in a fight in pratice over kmart giving zo a hard time about his kidneys.

 

[jbeecham]

The article that I read said that both Kmart and RJ were cracking jokes about Mourning's slowness running drills in practice. It was Kmart that made comments about Mourning's kidney (not RJ), but RJ was there and giving Zo a hard time. I'll see if I can find the article.

 

[jbeecham]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1667330

According to several published reports, Mourning was last in his group to the finish line at the end of grueling conditioning drills and heard laughter from players.

Mourning approached them and shouted as part of a profanity-filled outburst "This ain't funny. This is about winning."

Richard Jefferson, a third-year forward who was laughing, told Mourning that it wasn't funny, it was "hilarious."

 

[elindholm]

It sure is nice how teams led by Jason Kidd have such empathy and harmony. He really is a great leader.

 

[schutd]

Thanks for the link. I think thats pretty seriously lame of both players to do. If there were ever a player who deserves the respect of, and should be able to expect it from, the younger players in this league, it's Zo.

Dude needs a kidney, maybe becasue of all the pain medicine he took as a player so he could stay on the court and battle through injuries. Martin's a punk. plain and simple. Jefferson? Im surprised ot hear of it.

Also, quotes like this really make me laugh:

"I'm not upset about it," the he told the New York Daily News. "You're talking about two warriors. When it's all said and done, they both understand they have to go to war together."

Warriors. Go to war. Big ole "PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!" from me. Someone needs to remind the playres and coches of this league that this is a GAME. Nothing more, nothing less.

Warrior my ass.

 

[schutd]

Originally posted by elindholm
It sure is nice how teams led by Jason Kidd have such empathy and harmony. He really is a great leader.

I see your point, but there was no indication one wya or the other as to how Kidd handled the situation, so any comments about his purported lack of leadership in this situation come off as taking pot shots, and are based solely on assumption. Not really needed.

 

[George O'Brien]

No one has said that Kidd contributed to the abuse nor that he was even aware it happened. On the other hand, it is well known that Kidd put presure on the Nets management to sign Zo, so he may have deliberately decided to stay low.

 

[Billythekid]

Just shows the character of that team. Those guys are a disgrace.

RJ is little biootch with he nose up Kidd's ass.

I pity the fans of that team.


GO SUNSSSSS!!

 

[thirty-two]

That's too bad.

I always liked Zo since his days in Charlotte.

That's too bad about KM and RJ cracking jokes... not cool at all.

 

[elindholm]

I see your point, but there was no indication one wya or the other as to how Kidd handled the situation, so any comments about his purported lack of leadership in this situation come off as taking pot shots

I disagree. The only "assumption" I'm making is that some degree of tension has been evident on and off since before the season started. That's hardly a reach. It is the leader's responsibility to sniff out small problems and deal with them before they flare up into major issues. By the time a conflict has reached the point of crisis, the leader has already failed.

 

[matt_whitlock]

Originally posted by elindholm
It sure is nice how teams led by Jason Kidd have such empathy and harmony. He really is a great leader.

Wow, using a career ending, LIFE THREATENING ailment of an innocent man to bash another player?

That's kinda sad, man..

 

[elindholm]

That's kinda sad, man..

Is it? You're using the same story to bash me.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

i am truly sorry to hear this about zo. the man was as dedicated as they come and a true gentleman. he was just about the nicest superstar i've ever met in person. my ex and i were having dinner in georgetown years ago and i guess he caught me starring at him. he motioned me over and talked with my ex and i (both attending g'town) for a bit. took time from his dinner with his gf/wife (don't remember which - it was a long time ago) to accomodate fans.

for kmart and rj to ridicule him is flat out contemptible. this sounds bad, but if i were in the L, i'd take out there legs during their high-wire act and shoot back at 'em with, "at least zo tried to compete w/ a decaying liver, let's see you spring back to action w/ no heart."

 

[matt_whitlock]

Originally posted by elindholm
That's kinda sad, man..

Is it? You're using the same story to bash me.

Yes, if that's what it takes for you to sleep at night, then you can believe that. Otherwise, you should really have some respect. What if this was your son, or best friend? What if this was you?

Right now, it's not even about Alonzo Mourning's career anymore. Doctors are saying he needs a transplant soon, so this is pretty serious. From what I understand, the man could die. What would you say then, that it was because of Jason Kidd's bad karma? Try telling Alonzo's wife and kids that.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Dude chill out. He was saying that Jason Kidd should have quelled the inter team arguement before it became public. Teams with great chemstry follow their leader(s).

The fact the locker room almost got into a brawl reflects not only the players involved, but Jason Kidd as the teams captain and unquestioned leader, as well as Byron Scott the teams head coach.

 

[PhiLLmattiC]

Originally posted by Ouchie-Z-Clown

for kmart and rj to ridicule him is flat out contemptible. this sounds bad, but if i were in the L, i'd take out there legs during their high-wire act and shoot back at 'em with, "at least zo tried to compete w/ a decaying liver, let's see you spring back to action w/ no heart."

I think they were jsut being competitive during practice. They probably figured if they bothered him a little he would work much harder during practice and games and he did just that because the next game after he scored a season high 15 points. I'm sure if they knew he would have taken it personally they wouldn't have done it. The fact he has to retire because of it now makes them look even worse. I actually read the story about what happened though and they weren't making fun of his illness they were making fun of the fact that he was finishing last in suicides. It just seems like they were trying to pump him up. Byron Scott had no problem with it.