Former Miami Heat super star Alonzo Mourning announced on Monday the words that everyone was hoping for, that he is cancer-free after a battle with prostate cancer earlier this year.
The 54-year-old Mourning, perhaps best-known for his ferocious battles with fellow Georgetown alum Patrick Ewing during the New York Knicks annual postseason showdowns against the Miami Heat in the mid to late 90’s, detailed his story of survival to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Mourning was diagnosed in late 2022 but has been free of the dreaded disease.
“What scares me about this disease is that there are so many men walking around feeling great and have that cancer in them and they don’t know it,” Mourning said.
“The only way to find out is to get their blood tested and get their PSA checked. There are 3.3 million men living in the U.S. with prostate cancer, and many don’t even know it. I was one of those guys.”
Embed from Getty ImagesWith a second chance and new lease on life, Mourning continues his recovery process and is hoping to be on the forefront when it comes to ending shame and stigmas behind health processes, especially considering that prostate cancer is said to affect one in eight men at some point in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Life was good and amazing for me, but if I had ignored getting checked and let this go, the cancer would’ve spread through my body,” Mourning, now a mainstay, along with Pat Riley in the Heat’s front office, told Wojnarowski. “Unfortunately, as men, we don’t like to go to the doctor, but this is the only way to find out what’s going on in your body. Prostate and even colon cancer are silent killers and many men won’t get those diagnosis until it’s too late.”
“We live in a world where it’s taboo among men to talk about health issues. If I didn’t get routine checkups, I probably wouldn’t be here to talk about this. I want men to be proactive with their health.”
A seven-time All-Star, and also known for being one of the most physical power forwards of his era, Mourning played 15 NBA seasons between Miami, Charlotte Hornets, and New Jersey Nets. The 2014 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee previously endured kidney disease and underwent a transplant in 2003, three years before he took home an NBA title with the organization where he made his name, the Heat, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks. Mourning’s Miami groups faced the Knicks in a playoff series on four consecutive occasions, (1997-2000) though Ewing’s squad got the upper hand in three of the four matchups.
Mourning, who last played in the NBA in 2008, is serving as the Vice President of Player Programs for the Miami Heat. Mourning was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year during his playing days and helped Miami win the 2006 NBA title.
