Alonzo Mourning Has Rare Kidney Disorder
B O C A R A T O N, Fla., Oct. 10, 2000 -- Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning has arare kidney disorder that could possibly result in a kidneytransplant, his foster mother told The Palm Beach Post.
“He did say to me that it was a rare case,” Fannie Threet, who raised Mourning since he was 12, told the newspaper in a telephone conversation from her home in Chesapeake, Va.
“I asked him was it to the extent that he would need akidney,” Threet said. “He said he didn’t know. They are testingnow to see what the difference would be.”
Heat officials declined comment on the report.
The Perfect Summer
Mourning last appeared in public a week ago at Miami Heat mediaday, when he discussed an offseason that included the birth of hissecond child and his role in the U.S. Olympic team’s gold-medaleffort.
“I couldn’t have written out my summer any better,” he said.
That was before doctors discovered an apparent kidney disorderin a routine physical examination. The Heat broke training campMonday without Mourning, and they don’t know when he’ll return.
Threet said she has spoken twice with Mourning since he wasfirst diagnosed with a rare kidney disorder, The Palm Beach Postreported in today’s editions.
She said Mourning told her that doctors are “hopeful they couldfind a kidney if it was necessary,” but he didn’t go into furtherdetails.
Mourning wasn’t specific about the nature of the disorder,Threet said.
“I didn’t get into any particular name,” she said. “He justsaid, ‘Oh, it is bad, Mom. It is bad.’”
Attempts to reach Mourning on Monday night were unsuccessful,according to the report.
Mourning told Seattle center Patrick Ewing that he’ll play thisseason, but the Heat have declined to discuss their All-Starcenter’s condition or prognosis. Mourning has been in Miamiundergoing further tests so doctors can determine the best courseof treatment.
“We’re more concerned about Alonzo as a person than as aplayer,” forward Brian Grant said. “We’re not even thinking aboutwhen he’s going to come back, but just is he going to be all right.We should know that pretty soon.”
Basketball Season Around the CornerThe Heat play their first preseason game Wednesday at NewJersey. The regular season opens Nov. 1.
“Zo left me a message Sunday and told us to keep working hardand he’ll take care of his end of it,” Miami coach Pat Riley said.“He’s in great spirits. He just wants to find out what’s availableout there and what the definitive answer is, and then we’ll go fromthere.”
Mourning discussed his condition last week with Ewing, his bestfriend in the NBA, The Miami Herald reported.
“Our conversation went fine and he was in good spirits,” Ewingsaid. “In fact, he cursed me out because I sounded depressed onthe phone when he told me what he had. …
“He’s going to play again this season. He just said he is goingto play again at some point. I don’t know when that is.”
With a series of offseason deals, Riley positioned Miami as theEastern Conference favorite. He brought in Grant, All-Star guardEddie Jones and rugged forward Anthony Mason.
But the moves left the Heat thin on the bench. In the past theyhad Clarence Weatherspoon or Ike Austin to fill in for Mourning,but there’s no comforting option this season. His backup isseldom-used Duane Causwell.
The best alternative may be to play Grant or the 6-foot-7 Masonout of position at center and hope that their aggressivenesscompensates for a lack of size.
“They had a real scrimmage Sunday night against one another,”Riley said. “It was a sight to behold to watch them go after eachother. The only trouble is neither one of them would have been inthe game at the end. They both would have had about 16 fouls.”
The Heat stress that their first concern is Mourning’s health,and there has been no discussion about bringing in a replacement ifhe can’t play this season, Riley said. Miami would have about $4million available under the salary cap for a disabled-playerexception.
“In the backs of our minds we’re thinking about it,” Rileysaid, “but we’re not moving on anything right now.”