boutons_
06-03-2006, 12:31 PM
June 4, 2006
Miami's Road to Finals Is Less Traveled, More Appreciated
By LIZ ROBBINS (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/liz_robbins/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
MIAMI, June 3 — Alonzo Mourning (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alonzo_mourning/index.html?inline=nyt-per) is more symbol than center now.
He stands on the periphery and less under the basket, a link between the Miami Heat (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/miamiheat/index.html?inline=nyt-org) teams that painfully missed making the finals under Pat Riley (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/pat_riley/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and the current Miami Heat team under Riley that is four tantalizing victories away from winning its first N.B.A. championship.
When the Heat routed the Detroit Pistons (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/detroitpistons/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night to advance to the franchise's first N.B.A. finals, Mourning, the team spokesman for all things of the ring, was the first person ready to reflect. "I think about 13 years and that's literally a lot of blood, a lot of sweat, a lot of ups and downs, so many disappointments year after year, it makes you appreciate this moment even more," Mourning said. "This is a road less traveled — by many. You have to treat it like it's your last step."
Those words have had chilling resonance for his life. Mourning is 36, having twice retired and come back from a kidney disease. He still needs a daily regimen of medication to keep him playing.
After returning from a 2003 kidney transplant he had when he was playing for the Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org), Mourning angered two teams by maneuvering first out of New Jersey and then Toronto so he could get back to Miami to be on the bench to win a title.
He has no remorse, only a blinding goal and a competitiveness similar to that of his sideline soul-mate, Riley, who moved back into coaching at the cost of Stan Van Gundy's resignation.
On Friday, Riley capped a conference series of master motivating by expressing some sentimentality for Mourning and the other 30-something veterans on the team.
"I know why he's here, he knows why I'm here," Riley said Friday night. "I just want him to experience a championship. These guys that haven't done it, that would be the greatest gift for me. It would. I'm just an old codger now. I mean it. There's a lot of guys in that locker room, a lot of stories in that locker room and they're very motivated about this opportunity."
Riley is 61, and trying to win his fifth title as a head coach and his first since his last title with the Lakers (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/losangeleslakers/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in 1988.
Shaquille O'Neal (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/shaquille_oneal/index.html?inline=nyt-per), 34, is seeking his fourth championship in his sixth trip to the finals, his first with Miami.
Gary Payton, 37, after 16 years, is seeking his first ring in his third trip to the finals. Dwyane Wade is trying to become the first of the stellar 2003 draft class to win his.
But Wade willfully defers to Mourning on this topic.
"We all know that that's the reason he still plays this game," he said. "That's been our whole goal all season and it's not changing."
Mourning has no compunction about the bitter endings he had in New Jersey, after the Nets gave him a $23 million contract that lured Jason Kidd (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/jason_kidd/index.html?inline=nyt-per) to re-sign as a free agent.
When he returned in 2004 from the kidney transplant, Mourning was angry that the new owner, Bruce Ratner, had allowed Kenyon Martin (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/kenyon_martin/index.html?inline=nyt-per) to leave in free agency. He complained publicly and became a polarizing presence in the Nets' locker room, so much so that the Nets traded him to Toronto for Vince Carter (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/vince_carter/index.html?inline=nyt-per). Mourning vowed never to cross into Canada and the Raptors (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/torontoraptors/index.html?inline=nyt-org) bought out his contract for $10 million. He signed as a free agent to be O'Neal's backup.
"It starts at the top and I just didn't see that commitment to winning like I do here with Micky Arison," Mourning said this past week, referring to the Heat's owner.
It was not merely that he had little time left. "Actually, I'm on borrowed time," Mourning said.
That was the crux of the conversation Mourning had with O'Neal when he returned to the Heat.
"I knew how bad he wanted it," Mourning said. "It was enough said after that. I knew that the sacrifice he made from the physical and mental standpoint to get himself right to play this game. I didn't have to say a word to him for him to know how bad I wanted it."
With O'Neal, healthy and playing at his best in the conference finals, he led the Heat into the finals by scoring 28 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 5 shots in Game 6. Mourning did not have to seize his moment Friday as much as he did cheer for it; he played only seven minutes in Game 6, grabbing two rebounds and making a free throw.
Since tearing his calf muscle in March, Mourning has been reduced to limited minutes, spelling O'Neal where in the beginning of the season when O'Neal was injured, Mourning had replaced him.
"I am very happy for Zo," O'Neal said. "We became best friends these last two years."
Referring to the quest for a ring, he added, "He's going to help me get four and I'm going to help him get one."
O'Neal was not the only center in the Heat locker room thrilled for Mourning. In a sight that would have been jarring six years ago, in walked Patrick Ewing (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/patrick_ewing/index.html?inline=nyt-per), who like Mourning, played at Georgetown.
But Ewing was also Mourning's former bitter rival when his Knicks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newyorkknicks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) eliminated Mourning's Heat three straight seasons, from 1998 to 2000. As much as Ewing still has a place of honor for his former coach, Riley, "I'm here really for Alonzo," he said.
Copyright 2006 (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html) The New York Times Company (http://www.nytco.com/)
Miami's Road to Finals Is Less Traveled, More Appreciated
By LIZ ROBBINS (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/liz_robbins/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
MIAMI, June 3 — Alonzo Mourning (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alonzo_mourning/index.html?inline=nyt-per) is more symbol than center now.
He stands on the periphery and less under the basket, a link between the Miami Heat (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/miamiheat/index.html?inline=nyt-org) teams that painfully missed making the finals under Pat Riley (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/pat_riley/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and the current Miami Heat team under Riley that is four tantalizing victories away from winning its first N.B.A. championship.
When the Heat routed the Detroit Pistons (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/detroitpistons/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night to advance to the franchise's first N.B.A. finals, Mourning, the team spokesman for all things of the ring, was the first person ready to reflect. "I think about 13 years and that's literally a lot of blood, a lot of sweat, a lot of ups and downs, so many disappointments year after year, it makes you appreciate this moment even more," Mourning said. "This is a road less traveled — by many. You have to treat it like it's your last step."
Those words have had chilling resonance for his life. Mourning is 36, having twice retired and come back from a kidney disease. He still needs a daily regimen of medication to keep him playing.
After returning from a 2003 kidney transplant he had when he was playing for the Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org), Mourning angered two teams by maneuvering first out of New Jersey and then Toronto so he could get back to Miami to be on the bench to win a title.
He has no remorse, only a blinding goal and a competitiveness similar to that of his sideline soul-mate, Riley, who moved back into coaching at the cost of Stan Van Gundy's resignation.
On Friday, Riley capped a conference series of master motivating by expressing some sentimentality for Mourning and the other 30-something veterans on the team.
"I know why he's here, he knows why I'm here," Riley said Friday night. "I just want him to experience a championship. These guys that haven't done it, that would be the greatest gift for me. It would. I'm just an old codger now. I mean it. There's a lot of guys in that locker room, a lot of stories in that locker room and they're very motivated about this opportunity."
Riley is 61, and trying to win his fifth title as a head coach and his first since his last title with the Lakers (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/losangeleslakers/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in 1988.
Shaquille O'Neal (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/shaquille_oneal/index.html?inline=nyt-per), 34, is seeking his fourth championship in his sixth trip to the finals, his first with Miami.
Gary Payton, 37, after 16 years, is seeking his first ring in his third trip to the finals. Dwyane Wade is trying to become the first of the stellar 2003 draft class to win his.
But Wade willfully defers to Mourning on this topic.
"We all know that that's the reason he still plays this game," he said. "That's been our whole goal all season and it's not changing."
Mourning has no compunction about the bitter endings he had in New Jersey, after the Nets gave him a $23 million contract that lured Jason Kidd (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/jason_kidd/index.html?inline=nyt-per) to re-sign as a free agent.
When he returned in 2004 from the kidney transplant, Mourning was angry that the new owner, Bruce Ratner, had allowed Kenyon Martin (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/kenyon_martin/index.html?inline=nyt-per) to leave in free agency. He complained publicly and became a polarizing presence in the Nets' locker room, so much so that the Nets traded him to Toronto for Vince Carter (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/vince_carter/index.html?inline=nyt-per). Mourning vowed never to cross into Canada and the Raptors (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/torontoraptors/index.html?inline=nyt-org) bought out his contract for $10 million. He signed as a free agent to be O'Neal's backup.
"It starts at the top and I just didn't see that commitment to winning like I do here with Micky Arison," Mourning said this past week, referring to the Heat's owner.
It was not merely that he had little time left. "Actually, I'm on borrowed time," Mourning said.
That was the crux of the conversation Mourning had with O'Neal when he returned to the Heat.
"I knew how bad he wanted it," Mourning said. "It was enough said after that. I knew that the sacrifice he made from the physical and mental standpoint to get himself right to play this game. I didn't have to say a word to him for him to know how bad I wanted it."
With O'Neal, healthy and playing at his best in the conference finals, he led the Heat into the finals by scoring 28 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 5 shots in Game 6. Mourning did not have to seize his moment Friday as much as he did cheer for it; he played only seven minutes in Game 6, grabbing two rebounds and making a free throw.
Since tearing his calf muscle in March, Mourning has been reduced to limited minutes, spelling O'Neal where in the beginning of the season when O'Neal was injured, Mourning had replaced him.
"I am very happy for Zo," O'Neal said. "We became best friends these last two years."
Referring to the quest for a ring, he added, "He's going to help me get four and I'm going to help him get one."
O'Neal was not the only center in the Heat locker room thrilled for Mourning. In a sight that would have been jarring six years ago, in walked Patrick Ewing (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/patrick_ewing/index.html?inline=nyt-per), who like Mourning, played at Georgetown.
But Ewing was also Mourning's former bitter rival when his Knicks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newyorkknicks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) eliminated Mourning's Heat three straight seasons, from 1998 to 2000. As much as Ewing still has a place of honor for his former coach, Riley, "I'm here really for Alonzo," he said.
Copyright 2006 (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html) The New York Times Company (http://www.nytco.com/)