Miami — Alonzo Mourning will be back in a Miami Heat uniform this season, which is a little like confirming that rice will again be served with beans at Versailles restaurant today.
Some things are inevitable.
It took two months for Mourning to announce his return, but he admitted the deliberation was minimal.
Zo wants an NBA championship. He came within about three bicep flexes of a trip to the NBA Finals in June. So close it still smarts. Instead of champagne, he was left with cottonmouth.
Convinced he's on the doorstep of his dream, Mourning is determined to keep knocking, even though he turns 36 in February.
"Last year was very disappointing considering the expectations of the team," Mourning said Thursday. "I understand that getting to the championship level is a process, and, unfortunately, you have to go through some pain before you win it all. If you turn back the hands of time, we could have made better decisions and we would have been in the Finals."
Mourning set two goals as a professional basketball player: Financial security and an NBA title.
"I have one," he said.
He knows he has his last, best shot at the second with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. He's ready to sweat.
His wife, Tracy gave her OK.
"She told me, 'You've come a long way, and I'd hate to see you not play and then this team gets to the Finals and you miss the opportunity to be on that stage. You've endured a lot, sacrificed a lot - how is one more year going to hurt?' " Mourning said.
Pat Riley gave his OK. On the surface, Riley might not be as open and huggable as Larry Brown, but he has a tight bond with Mourning. They talked Wednesday.
"Pat solidified my decision," Mourning said. "He's going to make a concerted effort to be more involved this season.
"And I see myself bringing even more to the table because I'm starting the season with the team."
Mourning's doctors gave their OK. He underwent a seven-hour checkup in New York last week. Basketball poses no serious threat to the kidney he received from a cousin in December 2003.
"There's always a 30 percent chance of rejection," said Mourning, who has learned to live with that statistic rather than fear it.
It's obvious Mourning needs the Heat. He is not ready to retire.
Kidney disease robbed him of playing time during his prime, and he's trying to make up for it. His wife told him he would be miserable at home and would drive her crazy.
But does the Heat, which acquired power forward Wayne Simien of Kansas via the draft, even need Mourning? Antoine Walker shoots more than Clint Eastwood did in his heyday and Jason Williams dribbles more than Meadowlark Lemon did in his.
This means Mourning is more essential than ever. Not just for his 15 minutes and handful of points, rebounds, blocks and scowls, but for his no-nonsense, workaholic example.
Mourning is that intangible piece - a chip off of Riley when the team gets soft on defense or needs one of those pep talks.
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.