BACKGROUND
The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 1998-99 and runnerup in voting for the Most Valuable Player Award, Alonzo Mourning established himself as an instant star in the NBA when he joined the Charlotte Hornets in 1992. Following his trade to Miami in November, 1995, he led the Heat to a franchise-record 61 wins in 1996-97 and a first-ever Atlantic Division title. After missing the start of the 1997-98 season while recovering from knee surgery, he bounced back to lead the Heat in scoring, rebounding and shotblocking, then enjoyed his best season as a pro in 1998-99 when he was an All-NBA First Team selection and led the league in blocked shots. The 6-10 Mourning was the third in a flurry of All-Star centers to come out of Georgetown University, joining Patrick Ewing (1985) and Dikembe Mutombo (1991). All three were known more for their defensive skills as collegians, but like Ewing, Mourning quickly demonstrated a knack for scoring at the NBA level. Mourning sparkled in college. Playing for the Hoyas, he twice led the nation in blocked shots and finished his college career as the all-time Division I leader in rejections. As a senior he averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 5.0 blocked shots. He was the first player in Big East history to earn the conference awards for Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Tournament Most Valuable Player all in one season. Mourning was an immediate impact player for the Hornets after his selection as the second overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft (behind Shaquille O'Neal). A unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection, he averaged 21.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, ranking in the league's top 15 in both categories. His total of 271 blocked shots was not only a club record, but it was also more rejections than the entire team had recorded in 1988-89 and 1989-90 combined. It took Mourning only 49 games to become the leading shotblocker in franchise history. Mourning and second-year forward Larry Johnson led the Hornets to their first playoff berth ever in 1993. Mourning's memorable buzzer-beater in Game 4 of a first-round series against the Boston Celtics propelled the Hornets into the conference semifinals. In his second year in the NBA, Mourning became an All-Star. He ranked fourth in the league in blocked shots with 3.13 per game. The following summer he was a member of Dream Team II, helping the United States to a gold medal at the 1994 World Championship of Basketball. In 1994-95, his third season, Mourning earned another All-Star selection and led the Hornets back to the playoffs. With Mourning schedule to become a free agent following the 1995-96 season, the Hornets tried but were unable to sign him to a long-term contract extension in the summer of 1995. Rather than risk losing him as a free agent and get nothing in return, Charlotte dealt Mourning to Miami just after the start of the season. Mourning went on to have another All-Star season, leading the Heat in scoring, rebounding and shotblocking. When he became a free agent in the summer of 1996, he elected to resign with the Heat. Although a foot injury cost him 14 games, the 1996-97 season was a positive one for Mourning and the Heat. He ranked fourth in the NBA in shotblocking, he led the team in rebounding and was second in scoring as Miami won a record 61 games, captured the Atlantic Division crown and advanced all the way to the Conference Finals. Mourning missed the first 22 games of the 1997-98 season because of his knee injury, and also missed two games because of a broken cheekbone, an injury that led him to wear a protective mask for the final seven games of the season. Nonetheless he averaged 19.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.24 blocks and shot .551 from the field, third-best in the NBA. He came back with a brilliant season in 1998-99, leading the NBA in shotblocking at 3.91 bpg, averaging a team-high 20.1 ppg and a career-high 11.0 rpg. He finished second behind Karl Malone in the MVP balloting but won Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as berths on the All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams. He also became Miami's career leader in blocked shots.

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Selected to the 1999-2000 All-NBA Second Team Named NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season Selected to the 1999-2000 NBA All-Defensive First Team Named NBA Player of the Week (4/3 - 4/9), averaging 22.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks Tallied 26 points, 17 boards and 6 blocks in a 76-70 win over Charlotte on 4/6 Logged 33 points and 13 rebounds in a 100-89 loss to the L.A. Lakers on 3/20 Notched 35 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 105-96 win at Indiana on 3/12 Logged a season-high 43 points (13-14 FG) and snared 16 boards in a 99-85 win over New Jersey on 2/23 Totaled 15 points and 7 rebounds as a starter in the 2000 NBA All-Star Game Registered 32 points (14-14 FT), 7 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 99-92 win over Washington on 2/4 Posted 24 points and 18 rebounds in a 94-84 loss to Indiana on 1/29 Named NBA Player of the Month for games played in December, averaging 23.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.29 blocks Registered game-highs with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks in an 89-78 win over Minnesota on 12/28 Named NBA Player of the Week (12/6 - 12/12), averaging 25.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.00 blocks Posted 37 points, 11 rebounds and 8 blocks in a 107-97 win in Sacramento on 12/10 Notched 28 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 90-83 win over Philadelphia on 12/1 Posted game-highs with 25 points (9-14 FG), 9 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 104-95 victory in Washington on 11/12 Totaled game-highs with 33 points (16-24 FG), 16 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 113-101 victory over Indiana on 11/9

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Named the winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, after leading the NBA in blocked shots (3.91 bpg) and ranking 6th in rebounds (11.0 rpg) Named to the 1998-99 All-NBA First Team after leading the Heat in scoring (20.1 ppg, 14th in the NBA), field-goal percentage (.511, 4th), rebounds, blocked shots and double-doubles (29, 5th) Placed on the injured list on 5/5 due to a right hip pointer and a slight fracture of right eye orbit Totaled game-highs of 24 points (8-14 FG), 17 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, and added 3 assists, in a 90-79 win over the Washington Wizards on 4/4 Posted game-highs of 23 points, 17 rebounds and 9 blocked shots, and added 4 assists, against the New Jersey Nets on 4/3 Recorded 19 points (7-12 FG) and game-highs of 21 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in an 84-76 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on 3/24 Notched double-doubles in 5 consecutive Heat wins, averaging 19.4 ppg, 12.6 ppg, 1.2 apg and 2.40 bpg, from 3/10 to 3/17 Named NBA Player of the Week for the week ending 3/14, averaging 19.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 2.50 bpg, and shooting .556 from the field, for the 4-0 Heat Totaled game-highs of 34 points (12-18 FG), 17 rebounds and 7 blocked shots in a 95-72 victory over the New Jersey Nets on 2/15

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Posted a team-high 20 points and a season-high 18 rebounds against the Washington Wizards on 4/17 Recorded game-highs of 22 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in an 82-81 victory over the New York Knicks on 4/12 Scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 4/7 Named NBA Player of the Week for the week ending 3/29, averaging 25.3 ppg, on .667 field-goal shooting, and 11.0 rpg for the 3-0 Heat Registered a team-high 26 points (10-15 FG), 7 rebounds and 3 steals in a 105-91 victory over the Boston Celtics on 3/25 Totaled game-highs of 25 points, 13 rebounds and 5 rebounds in a 93-87 win over the Golden State Warriors on 3/20 Posted a game-high 26 points (9-13 FG), 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a 94-91 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 3/18 Recorded team-highs of 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against the Detroit Pistons on 3/16 Registered game-highs of 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocked shots and added 3 assists against the Seattle SuperSonics on 3/3 Totaled a game-high 28 points (10-15 FG, 8-10 FT) and 13 rebounds in a 95-93 victory over the New Jersey Nets on 2/28 Posted game-highs with 26 points and 15 rebounds in a 91-77 victory over the Sacramento Kings on 2/20 Scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 89-80 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 2/19 Scored a game-high 31 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and blocked 3 shots in a 116-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on 2/15 Recorded a season-high 39 points (13-18 FG), 15 rebounds and 7 blocked shots in a 100-86 win over the Detroit Pistons on 2/13 Registered 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers on 2/11 Totaled 19 points (8-13 FG), a game-high 15 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in a 98-84 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on 2/4

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
Mourning ranked second on the Heat in scoring at 19.8 ppg, first in rebounding at 9.9 rpg and first in shotblocking at 2.86 bpg in leading the Heat to the Atlantic Division title with a 61-21 record. He ranked fourth in the NBA in blocked shots and would have been 10th in rebounding but he did not qualify in that category because of the games he missed. After missing one game early in the season because of a lower back strain, Mourning sat out a game on Feb. 6 due plantar fasciaitis of his right heel. He played the next six games, then was sidelined for 13 games due to a torn plantar fascia. He came back and played in 14 late-season games, sitting out the finale as Coach Pat Riley rested several players prior to the playoffs. In his 14 games after coming off the injured list he averaged 20.3 points, including a season-high 35 points plus 18 rebounds in a 94-92 win at New Jersey on April 8. The 18 rebounds were one shy of his season-high of 19 which he posted in a 106-100 loss to Chicago on Nov. 6. In his 66 games he scored in double figures 64 times and grabbed double figures in rebounds 32 times. He was selected to the All-Star team but withdrew due to injury. In 17 playoff starts he averaged 17.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.71 blocks, helping the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals where they were beaten by Chicago in five games.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
One of the NBA's best big men, Mourning led the Heat with averages of 23.2 points (seventh in the NBA), 10.4 rebounds (eighth in the NBA) and a franchise-record 2.70 blocks (fifth in the NBA) per game. He started 70 games for Miami and averaged 38.2 minutes per game, missing 12 games because of a partially torn tendon in his left foot, an injury he suffered in a game at Phoenix on Dec. 9. Mourning's highlights were plentiful as he led the Heat back into the playoffs. His biggest game came in a 112-103 victory over Washington on March 29 when he poured in 50 points, the second-highest total in franchise history. Zo shot 17-for-24 from the field and 16-for-17 from the line in 39 minutes in that game, one in which he also grabbed a dozen rebounds. Scoring in double figures in every game he played, Mourning reached 45 points in a 100-99 loss to Boston on Feb. 3, setting career highs with 19 field goals made and 34 attempted, and had 40 points in a 125-118 win at Dallas on March 12. He matched his career high by grabbing 22 rebounds in a 114-106 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 19. In the playoffs, Mourning was held in check for the first two games but then tied Tim Hardaway's franchise record (set in Game 1) with 30 points in the third and final game of the series, when he shot 11-for-19 from the field and 8-for-8 from the line. However, for the three games his averages were below par at 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
Mourning was a major reason why the Charlotte Hornets cracked the 50-win barrier for the first time in franchise history this season. One of four players to lead an NBA team in four major statistical categories (along with Dana Barros, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Scottie Pippen), Mourning ranked first on the team in scoring (21.3 ppg), rebounding (9.9 rpg), blocked shots (2.92 per game), and field-goal percentage (.519). He was in the top 20 in the NBA in each of those categories, finishing as high as fifth in blocks. He also set a club record for free throws attempted (644) and was third in the NBA in free throws made (490). Mourning had a scrapbook full of standout games. Of the dozen 30-point or better performances turned in by Hornets players in 1994-95, he accounted for 9. He collected a season-high 36 points on November 23 at Boston and again on January 25 against the Atlanta Hawks. He grabbed a season-best 18 rebounds against the New York Knicks on November 26, and he rejected 7 shots on two occasions. He also played in his first All-Star Game (having missed the 1994 game because of injury), scoring 10 points and grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds. After guiding the Hornets to a 50-32 record, Mourning paced the team in the postseason as well. Charlotte entered the playoffs seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference but fell in four games to the Chicago Bulls. Mourning averaged 22.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 3.25 blocks in the series.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
Plagued by a torn muscle in his left calf and a sprained right ankle, Mourning's sophomore season mirrored that of the up-and-down Hornets. He sustained the calf injury in the opening minutes of a January 26 tilt with the Orlando Magic and missed the following 15 games. He also missed six games from December 30 to January 11 because of the ankle ailment. All told, the Hornets went 6-16 without their leading scorer (21.5 ppg) and rebounder (10.2 rpg) in the lineup. Mourning was selected as a reserve on the 1994 Eastern Conference All-Star Team but was unable to play because of injury. Touted as one of the up-and-coming stars of the league, he grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds against the Boston Celtics on December 23, recorded back-to-back 36-point games against the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz in December, and scored a career-high 39 points points against the Detroit Pistons on April 23. In the summer of 1994 Mourning helped Dream Team II to a gold medal at the World Championship of Basketball in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Alonzo Mourning joined an elite group when he became the third outstanding Georgetown center to enter the NBA within a decade. Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo had preceded him to the pros, and Mourning certainly didn't prove a weak link in the chain. Before entering college, Mourning was invited to the 1988 Olympic Trials. He was a member of the U.S. Select Team in preparation for the Olympics. In college, he was a finalist for both the Naismith and Wooden Awards. He and Ewing are the only Georgetown players to collect more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during their careers. By the end of his first season with the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, Mourning was one of two unanimous choices for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and was runner-up to Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Mourning finished second to O'Neal among rookies in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 21.0 points and 10.3 boards. He posted the highest scoring average of any rookie in Hornets history. Mourning and O'Neal were the first NBA rookies since David Robinson in 1989-90 to average 20 or more points and 10-plus rebounds in their first seasons. Mourning shattered Charlotte's blocked-shots records, becoming the Hornets' all-time career leader in the 49th game of the season. Needless to say, his single-season total of 271 blocks (fourth in the NBA) was also a club record. Mourning also set a team single-season record by attempting 634 free throws, fifth most in the NBA. For the season, Mourning scored in double figures in 76 of his 78 games and registered 38 double-doubles. He had season highs of 37 points at Indiana on March 19 and 22 rebounds twice-at Utah on March 1 and at Detroit on April 16. Mourning's single-game highs were also team highs for the season. The greatest moment of Mourning's rookie season came on May 5, in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. His 20-footer at the buzzer gave the Hornets a 104-103 victory in the game and a three-games-to-one victory in the series, making Charlotte the first of the four recent expansion teams to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. Mourning averaged a team-best 23.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.44 blocks during the Hornets' nine-game postseason run.