NBA legend and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Alonzo Mourning said he is happy how far the NBA has come in so many ways. -- ALVIN S. GO
ONE of the iconic players in the National Basketball Association in the 1990s, legend and Hall-of-Famer Alonzo Mourning said he is amazed at, and proud of, how far The Association has come since he first stepped on it.
Recently visited Manila to witness the official tie-up between NBA Philippines and smart phone maker Vivo as local partners, Mr. Mourning, a 16-year NBA veteran, said much has changed in the NBA, and all for good, from the time he became part of it in 1992.
He mentioned how the game has evolved, particularly the play of big men in the league.
“The players that are coming into the league now are more versatile and more talented in different areas. Not only are they able to shoot the basketball but they also able to dribble the basketball very well. You have taller guys who back when I was playing were limited to the post but now they play in the perimeter, shooting threes and handling the ball like Kevin Durant,” said Mr. Mourning, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, during the NBA-Vivo partnership launch.
“Dirk [Nowitzki] started it when he began shooting from the outside. The way the league is calling the game has helped the perimeter players. It’s still physical but not as physical as before. So players are freer from the perimeter. But it has been good,” he added.
As a brand, the NBA has also grown globally, a testament he said to the leaders of the league throughout the years who made sure the NBA continues to be relevant in every possible way through partnerships it has forged, including the one with Vivo.
“Anytime we get to celebrate another partnership it helps grow the brand. The more partnerships we have the bigger this brand becomes globally. It has grown well since I first played in the NBA. It means we are doing something good,” said the two-time NBA defensive player of the year (1999 and 2000).
Drafted second overall in the 1992 NBA rookie draft by the Charlotte Hornets, Mr. Mourning, 48, ended his career with the Miami Heat in 2008 with one NBA title to show for (Heat, 2006) and career averages of 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks.
He also won an Olympic gold medal in 2000 while successfully coming back from a life-threatening kidney disease after.
A decade away from the game, Mr. Mourning said he has not been completely away from what he loves doing, still being part of the Heat franchise.
He said he enjoys what he is doing now and committed to giving back to young players in the league.
“When I retired I took a year off and afterwards I was hired by the Miami Heat and I took the position of vice-president for player development where I help create programs which I work with the players not only to help them become professionals on the court but off of it as well,” said Mr. Mourning.
“Outside of that, what keeps me busy is also I work as ambassador for the NBA. So I travel to different places and doing work for the league as well as having a foundation back in the States to provide services for children in Florida,” he added.
As to the Philippines, Mr. Mourning said he has heard a lot of great things about it prior to coming here, including how good the food is here and how passionate basketball fans Filipinos are.
He encouraged local fans to continue supporting the league and continue growing the sport which he considers as the best and biggest out there. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
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