A career cut short :(

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.
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That's really too bad. He was a fantastic talent and amazing physical specimen. I hope he stays well...

Kenyon Martin, on the other hand, needs a fucking punch to the throat...

Why did the Nets spend $22 million on him?

I never really liked 'Zo, but hope that his health improves with this decision.

I wonder what Kenyon Martin and Shawn Jefferson are saying about this, I would love to hear their reaction, and wonder if they have class.

Originally posted by Butter_of_69
Why did the Nets spend $22 million on him?

I never really liked 'Zo, but hope that his health improves with this decision.


Did you ever watch him and Larry Johnson play with the Hornets? They were STUDS, way back then.

Add Muggsy, Dell Curry as the sixth man...

I've always been VERY anti-Kenyon Martin. He's the most overrated player in my opinion today. He makes big dunks, but he's a loose cannon, has no discipline whatsoever, and is making big bucks without earning it.

He goes and makes fun of a future hall of famer for not finishing suicides when the guy was gutting it out with a shot kidney. Sure he didn't know it then, but obviously he knew Zo's history. Martin is a fucking asshole who deserves nothing but the same love shown to any Portland Trail Blazer player.

If he died tomorrow, I honestly wouldn't give two shits.

Unfortunate yet inenvitable.

My lasting memory of 'Zo will be the time that he mugged Kit Mueller of Princeton who was trying to take a last second 3 during that 50-49 game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 1989.

No call, of course.

Ya know, not to defend Martin or Jefferson but nobody except the people in the building know what happened, for all we know they were simply ribbing him and perhaps because of what we now know (and Zo probably knew then) he took it very hard and lashed out at them. It wasn't like he was hooked up to a dialysis machine and they were goofing on him, he was playing for an NBA team doing NBA drills because he was cleared to do so.

Nets are screwed.

Pistons are primed for years of Eastern Conference dominance.

Originally posted by Schmidty
Nets are screwed.

Pistons are primed for years of Eastern Conference dominance.

Why? Nets are essentialy the same team they have been the last 2 years, 2 straight Eastern Conference titles.

Originally posted by Ronnie Dobbs2
THE PISTONS WILL WIN THE NBA TITLE THIS YEAR
DARKO MILICIC 24 PPG 12 RPG!!!

sorry don't know what got into me

Is Darko even playing? :D

Originally posted by Schmidty
Nets are screwed.

Pistons are primed for years of Eastern Conference dominance.

Don't be silly Schmidty. These same Nets beat the Pistons for two years now. Kidd's only 31, Jefferson and K-Mart are in their mid-20s, Kittles is 30. They aren't going anywhere.

Originally posted by Neuqua
Don't be silly Schmidty. These same Nets beat the Pistons for two years now. Kidd's only 31, Jefferson and K-Mart are in their mid-20s, Kittles is 30. They aren't going anywhere.

You people are slow. I was being sarcastic since Zo wasn't exactly helping them to a stellar record this season; however, I still think that the Pistons are going to be the better team within a couple of years (and they might be this year as well).

I keep hearing about what Martin and Jefferson were saying about Mourning but I never heard the exact quotes, what context they were in, and how they got out to the media. I was wondering if someone could enlighten me.

Originally posted by pjstp20
I keep hearing about what Martin and Jefferson were saying about Mourning but I never heard the exact quotes, what context they were in, and how they got out to the media. I was wondering if someone could enlighten me.

Nobody's going to know the exact quotes because nobody was there.

So how does anybody know what was said?????

Originally posted by pjstp20
So how does anybody know what was said?????

Creative journalism.

Okay, I'll stop being cryptic. Word basically went around that Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson made a reference to Mourning's kidney ailment. I didn't see any exact quotes, and I wouldn't necessarily trust any if I did. I doubt the exchange among the three of them was recorded, so nobody will know how mean-spirited the comments were. It was presented in the press in the most sensational way possible, though, so all we can do is speculate on it from there.

The sad part about all this is.. Alonzo mournings status probably shoots him to the top of the waiting for a kidney list..

As someone who has a friend waiting for a kidney for the past few months.. if he gets one within a couple of weeks there should be some outrage

Ragone, this isn't going to make you happy... (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1671515)

I dont see a problem at all with this, it's their body and they can do with it what they want.

Thats freaking bullshit.. now, lets say someone has a rare kidney type match with someone else.. and could save thier life.. i guarentee they wouldn't do it..

"Oh.. this won't go to zo? nevermind that"

Guarenteed this is mostly people's halfwitted attempt to get 15 minutes of fame "Hey look.. my kidney is in someone famous, and i got a autographed basketball and zo's old kidney in a jar!"

I'm VERY pissed right now.. and i actually like Zo.. its not his fault at all..