“The reason that I will average 40 is the fact there’s no Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, Yao Ming back there. I don’t know who’s protecting this rim, but I’m pretty sure a 6-foot-5 power forward ain’t stopping me from getting to the bucket,” Arenas said.
Alonzo Mourning Rumors
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Alonzo Mourning
Position: -
Born: 02/08/70
Height: 6-10 / 2.08
Weight:261 lbs. / 118.4 kg.
Earnings: $143,906,333 ($216,943,671*)
Born: 02/08/70
Height: 6-10 / 2.08
Weight:261 lbs. / 118.4 kg.
Earnings: $143,906,333 ($216,943,671*)
James and Davis are now up 1-0 on a Miami team with Riley’s DNA. “When I look at the Heat team, they remind me of guys like Alonzo Mourning,” Smith said. “Like, dude, [you’re] super intense. Like, relax.” The Heat can’t relax until the man Spoelstra calls “The Godfather” takes his best shot at his old team for another ring. “There is no question [Riley] wants it bad,” Smith said. “He will never show it, and you will never see it. He is going to look like a cool customer all day long because that is what he does. “But inside, he’s burning.”
Etan Thomas: He focused on their education, enforced discipline and structure, and educated them about society and being a Black man in America. He was a father figure in that he actually cared about his players far beyond wins and losses (although he definitely wanted to win). He made sure he stressed that his players graduate and not squander their time allowing the system to use them. Of course that was the coach and program I wanted to be a part of. Also, he coached one of my favorite players, Alonzo Mourning – someone who I wanted to pattern my game after. He also coached Patrick Ewing, one of my favorite players growing up (as a New York Knicks fan). I wanted to be able to block shots like Dikembe Mutombo and have defenses literally draw plans to avoid bringing the ball inside. I wanted to carry on the tradition and wear No. 33 at Georgetown (which is one of the reasons why I wore No. 33 at Syracuse, but I’ll explain that later).
The next morning, the Heat representatives arrived early to prepare. Riley, Elisburg, coach Erik Spoelstra, Alonzo Mourning, owner Micky Arison and his son, Nick, then a vice president, showed up 45 minutes before James. Riley paced the hallway with nervous energy. The velvet bag with the rings came out again. During the presentation, Mourning shed tears talking about the organization’s support when he needed a kidney transplant and the joy of later winning a title. But two pieces anchored the pitch: the explanation of playing in Florida, where there’s no state income tax (and what that would save in salary and endorsement income), and the plan to unite James, Wade and Bosh.
SLAM: Who’s the most competitive guy you ever played with? Tim Hardaway: Are intense and competitive the same thing? If so, I’ll say Alonzo Mourning. By far Alonzo Mourning. Intense. Never wanted to lose. If he missed a jump hook in shoot-around or practice, he’d be like, Give me that ball back, give me that ball back. He had to make that jump hook the same way before Coach Pat [Riley] could talk. It was amazing. That’s how competitive he was. He wanted everything to be right. When he was out there, he wanted everything to be 100 percent right. He didn’t want any mistakes. Alright, let’s do it again, let’s do it again. I got to get it. Let’s do it again. Until he gets it right about two or three times and then he’s alright with it. He was very competitive on our team.
Many have pointed to Adebayo as the next Heat icon — a lineage that includes Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade. And, as expected, Adebayo isn’t afraid of those expectations either. “You don’t want to be that one guy that can’t carry the load or isn’t ready to carry the load because it’s going to be a point in your career where it’s going to be your show,” Adebayo said. “So you have to put your big boy pants on and you got to go out there and produce, and I feel like I’ve done that so far this season. I feel like I really shouldered a lot of weight off of Jimmy [Butler], so Jimmy is not such the focal point. Just getting him easy buckets or just let him take a play off.
“I’ve been with UD for three years, I’ve been with D-Wade for a year and a half, and just seeing a Zo all three years, it’s a big respect factor when those three type of guys say that you’re next in line. I’m just trying to do the very best I can to fill that legacy. Try to bring a championship, that’s my goal.”
