Looks like it is true. Mourning forced to end NBA career, needs kidney transplant November 24, 2003 EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) - 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 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.
A sad way to leave the game. I always appreciated his game and person. I wish him all the best and hope to get well soon. Unfortunately for the Nets, there frontcourt will be much thinner even if Zo did not contributed that much. Bye Zo.
damn to bad, he was a real basketbal player, he played with all his heart. i'm wondering what martin is thinking now, after the fight he started with mourning, when mourning wasn't as fit as he used to be, and he didn't like it that martin and jefferson made fun of him.
I bet the fight has something to do with the announcement I bet ZO was going to play through . .. but after that . . . he figured it was not worth the pain and aggrevations Rocket River K-Mart/Jefferson . . I'm officiall a HATA of you both
Please, the fight had NOTHING to do with it. Alonzo Mourning didn't quit over the aggravation, he needs a kidney transplant. Hopefully Jefferson and Kenyon clear things up with Alonzo, because it seems that the fight might have happened because Alonzo knew what was going down.
Truly sad. The guy would have been an all-time great. He'd be the 2nd best center in the NBA right now if it wasn't for this disease. Prayers to him getting a kidney.
More like the announcement had something to do with the fight. I bet Martin feels like a total d******d now.
Too bad He was truly a great player and I loved the energy he brought with him. I wish him all the best and hope to get well soon!
People are banging on Richard Jefferson and especially Kenyon Martin, but I'm sure those guys have called up Alonzo and apologized. Remember, Zo took a shot at Kenyon's ankle (and Kenyon broke his ankle in the past), so it just sounded like a piss fight between those guys and this kidney thing that forced his retirement just came at about the same time. Trust me, players say worse things in practice then what Kenyon, Jefferson and Zo have said to each other, so I'm pretty sure those guys will clean things up. How about Byron Scott, doing everything to run Dikembe out of town, despite Zo asking him to keep him, and now they don't have a center.
My god, did you hear what the Kenyon Martin/Zo argument was all about? Zo made fun of Kenyon's ankle injury saying that he couldn't lead if he's in the trainer's room all the time and kept saying "Oww, my ankle, my ankle". Kenyon responded with "Oww, my kidney, my kidney". That's the argument. Sounds like a 3rd grade pissing match to me. Did you hear Rome mocking the people who said that Kenyon ran Zo out of the NBA! LOL! Neither do the Knicks, and they ended up with Dikembe.] LOL! You make a good point!
Actually, it started with Keynon/Jefferson making fun of Zo's conditons after he finished last in some endurance workout or sumthing. So get your facts straight before speaking through that craphole you call mouth. Mourning was the most intense and energetic player in the NBA and it's sad to see him leave. Hope he'll have a great post-NBA life. We all wish him the best.
Damn Kenyon must feel like an ass. Kenyon's ankle won't kill him. If Zo doesn't get a transplant, he may die.
Holy ****! Zo signed a 4-year, $22 million contract, played 17 days, and then retired?!?!?!?? I sympathize for his illness, but, wow! He just raped the Nets! -- droxford
I'm pretty damned sure that the Nets worked in an injury buyout/settlement clause. Rod THorn is no dummy.
