<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Q. Could you talk about the hardest moment for you in this long wait for a championship, what was the darkest time and if you could sort of take us from there? ALONZO MOURNING: Oh, the darkest time was in 2000, October 3, 2000, making that announcement that I wouldn't be playing basketball again. You know, that was probably one of the darkest moments. I was on such a high at that point in my life because we had just come back from Sydney, Australia, and we won a gold medal. I had just traveled back for the birth of my daughter. I was just on a high at that time. I was on top of the world. It all just went crashing down when I heard that news. You know, going through -- I read this book a while ago and there's a quote in it from Frederick Douglass saying that the road to success has many obstacles, and you go through adversity. I've gone through my share of it throughout my life. You know what, the good thing about going through those things, it's just made me stronger, man. It's made me more determined to not succumb but to overcome. And I give God all the praise, I truly do. Because without Him just giving me life again, just giving me an opportunity to live, you know, and just experience this moment, just this particular moment right here, you know, I mean, I got my cousin here, and he's the one that donated the kidney to me. Words can't explain how grateful I am to him. I owe my life to him just saving me. I remember when -- I remember laying in the hospital and just feeling like a newborn baby, truly, helpless, in a lot of pain, helpless. And just to have my strength again. A long time ago, I told somebody, I said, you know what, I will trade everything, all the money, all the material things, all the success, I would trade all of that in the world for my health right now. My health is so important to me. Without your health, you can't live a life productively and not just do for yourself, but do for your family. It just makes me appreciate just living every moment now, even more. And I want to share that with as many people as possible, you know, because I know I've been given a second chance, and I know that happened for a reason. The only way to share that particular situation is to continue to try to lift other people up in the process, and those who are going through any type of illness, those who are going through, you know, transplantation and having to deal with those type of physical obstacles in your life, you need some words of encouragement, some hope. You need that. I needed that. I got a call from Lance Armstrong. He texted me after Game 5, he texted me. We've been playing phone tag because he called and spoke to my mom in Miami and wished me a happy Father's Day and just told me "great win." Before the series even started, he called me and was telling me, he told me that even though his heart is in Texas, he wants to see me win. A lot of you don't realize this, but he was a huge, huge, inspiration to me in my whole recovery period. I read both of his books after my surgery, both of them. Laying in the hospital, I was reading his second book and his first book was extremely inspiring to me. I think about what he had to go through and literally being on his death bed. I said to myself, if he can do it, man, I can do it. And the way I looked at him, I know that there are thousands and thousands of other people that look at me the same way and I want to be here to provide them with the hope to overcome and not succumb to it. You know, that's all you need, you need a little help and encouragement to get through. We're human. Some people might not see me as human because of the things I do out there on the court but I'm human, I laugh, I cry, I feel pain. I'm affected by some of the things you might write or say or what have you. I'm human, you know. And what drives me is my faith, my faith in knowing that I'm going to be all right. I know and I've told plenty of people this; that there are kidney patients and transplant patients and what have you that deal with all types of sicknesses and illnesses and people that approach me. I had a gentleman approach me at the hotel before the game that was dealing with some physical problems and telling me how much I'm an inspiration to him. I told him, plainly, I said, you know what, the key to you recovering is keeping this right. (Pointing to head). Keeping your mind right. Because if you keep this positive and strong, then your body is going to follow it. I never gave up up here, I never gave up up here. I credit a great deal of my recovery to that because I never gave up up here because so many people are quick to give up and say, why me, why me, and just not realizing there's so many other people out there that has it a whole lot worse than you do. No matter how bad you got it, everybody has problems, everybody has problems, regardless of how bad you have it, somebody else out there has it worse. Think about that. Sit back and think about that, you know. That's what drives me. </div> Wow, I'm so proud of him, he's my hero. I have nothing but respect for 'Zo. But didn't he whine and get of out Toronto just so he could go to the Heat?
he did, but its not like he didnt pay his dues. In general its a a pain in the ass when players do that and you alway wish some franchise would telll tham to screw off and play or they wouldnt pay them. But you cant really hate on Zo after everything hes been through. THere was a time when he was a consensus pick as the best player in the NBA. or at least top 2 or 3. he played his ass off in game 6 especially. im happy for him and for toine....and g moth****in p
He works so hard on the court considering the problems he has had and he is such a warrior, still playing with/against the best and not complaining. He is cocky sure, yet he such a good role model and everyone should look up to him.
How can you not respect a guy like Alonzo? He's gone through so much with his health and still manages to be a defensive force for the Miami Heat in the NBA championship. Most guys his age at this point would just be thankful to be alive. Truely a hero...
