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The National Basketball Association has changed a lot since Alonzo Mourning retired in 2009.
His professional career began in 1992 while Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were running the show, and he hung up his shoes just before players who played his position started to shoot three-pointers at the same rate Stephen Curry did early in his playing days.
Take Victor Wembanyama, for example. At nearly seven-and-a-half feet tall, “Wemby” would have stayed at the block if he played during Mourning’s timeline. But in today’s game, he has the ability to play like a point guard.
“He’s a talented kid, man. The sky is the limit for his potential, he’s had some eye-opening games already. Some overwhelming statistical games already,” Mourning told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“Now it’s just about doing it consistently and potentially one day getting in that level or that conversation of being a world champion. That’s ultimately what it’s all about right there. Can he, and does he have, and we all think he does just by looking at what he offers to the game, that he has capabilities of taking that franchise [the San Antonio Spurs] back to the mountaintop again. That’s what it’s all about with Wemby. We’ve already seen what his skill set can be, now it’s about winning championships.”
The style of play has changed immensely since Mourning’s last game, and many of Mourning’s generation believe it has been a detriment. But the Hall of Famer disagrees.
“The revolution of basketball has been good for the game. The game has grown, we’re scoring more points… It’s entertaining, and it’s been a great sell to networks. Players are making more money than ever before. When you look at it from a business perspective, it’s good,” Mourning said.
“Just watching the Bulls back in the 90s and the Michael Jordan documentary, it reminded me of some of the low-scoring games back in the day. The score was 89-78, a lot of really good defense being played, very physical games, wasn’t easy to score. That part of basketball is gone. The game’s being called different, more up-pace game, more threes being shot. Analytically, teams are leaning more towards getting up more FGAs, especially from the outside. Once a team gets hot, especially shooting 40, 50 threes a game, Jesus Christ, you’re bound to score.”
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One thing that Mourning has vowed to keep from his playing days, though, is his commitment to giving back to the community. Mourning co-founded his own family foundation in 1997, and six years later founded the Overtown Youth Center in Miami, a community center dedicated to giving underprivileged kids access to support, mentorship, academic help, after-school programs and enrichment opportunities.
This weekend, Mourning will be awarded the Mia Hamm Service Award at Athletes for Hope’s “Play for Good” gala in Washington, D.C. The award honors an elite athlete who embodies the former soccer star’s commitment to utilizing his or her global platform to help others in need in the U.S. and beyond.
“Giving back was something that was a part of my DNA simply because I’m here because of so many other people’s contributions. Coaches, teachers, family members and what have you to kind of help me get to where I am. So I’m grateful for all those people,” Mourning said. “That has inspired me to have an impact on the community, the best I could do to develop affordable housing, my programs for in-school, after-school summer programs and for inner-city kids, increasing graduation rates, helping children and families in impoverished areas, address their personal needs, it’s a byproduct of what I came from. I’m grateful, truly grateful and thankful for the opportunity.”
A Miami Heat legend, Mourning is currently the franchise’s vice president of player programs and development, ensuring that the next generation of Heat players follows in his footsteps in giving back.
“We introduce the young guys, the Miami Heat does a great job of exposing our young talent to opportunities in the community. So we’re very active as an organization in the community. We include the players, they see how important it is, and from there, good things happen,” Mourning said. “These guys get excited about giving back, you know, and the rest is history.”
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