Day: April 10, 2023

Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009.[1][2] Mourning played most of his 15-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career for the Heat.

Nicknamed “Zo”, Mourning played the center position. Following his college basketball career at Georgetown University, his tenacity on defense twice earned him the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and twice placed him on the NBA All-Defensive Team. Mourning made a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant and later won the 2006 NBA championship with the Heat. Mourning 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.[3] In 2010, Mourning was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In August 2014, Mourning was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in August 2019 he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Early life
During his time at Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, he led the team to 51 straight victories and a state title his junior year (1987). As a senior, he averaged 25 points, 15 rebounds and 12 blocked shots per game. He was named Player of the Year by USA Today, Parade, Gatorade, and Naismith. He was the #1 recruit of the 1988 class, over Christian Laettner, Shawn Kemp, Billy Owens, Kenny Williams, Stanley Roberts, Rick Fox, and Malik Sealy, among others.

College career
Mourning played college basketball for John Thompson at Georgetown University.