Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph

I have always liked Alonzo Mourning as a basketball player. I now have new found respect for a guy I already thought was top of the class in the NBA. After reading this wonderful book, I have a new found respect and I like him even more. I love how he is such a family man and his family and God comes first. He is a great role model for not just his son, but for many young men who look up to the NBA stars and want to be just like them. I just hope that a fraction of our young men, turn out half as a wonderful human being as Alonzo is. This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me happy and made me upset. I felt that I was right along every good and bad thing that happened to him. I just loved reading each page and hated to get to the end. Keep up the great work that you have started Zo.

This is the life story of famed basketball player Alonzo "Zo" Mourning. Despite being a three-time All American at Georgetown University... a seven-time NBA All-Star... a two-time NBA Defensive Player Of The Year... an Olympic Gold Medal winner... a college graduate with a degree in sociology... and after fourteen years in the NBA... he finally won a World Championship with the Miami Heat in 2006...

BUT...

Zo has made a much *BIGGER* impact on the world by not only fighting to overcome a kidney disease called focal glomerulosclerosis, of which there is no cure... but after fighting a "losing" battle with that disease... wound up having to get a kidney transplant as well. A winner like Zo, doesn't have the word lose in his vocabulary... and at a point in his life when he had more money than he could ever spend... and was thanking the Lord for his life... he dedicated his body and soul... to do... the unthinkable... PLAY AGAIN IN THE NBA!

If you look back on Zo's childhood, it is impossible not to have realized that this was one unique individual, and he was going to succeed on his terms. When Zo was ten-years-old his parents' marriage began to deteriorate and would eventually wind up in a divorce. His life at home was becoming strenuous. The family went to the department of social services for counseling. Zo loved his parents... BUT HE ASKED TO BE PUT INTO A GROUP HOME! Can you imagine that? He loved his parents... but thought it would be better to be in a group home. That's one heck of a decision for a ten-year-old! From there he wound up in a foster home with a woman named Fannie Threet, "a local hero who as a foster Mom helped raise forty-nine kids." Zo was one of those kids. He wound up calling Mrs. Threet Mom, but his real Mother and Father remained in his life. Zo became the number-one-rated high school basketball player in the country, and every major University came after him offering scholarships. He decided on Georgetown University because all the other coaches came to his house promising "playing-time" and perks... but Coach John Thompson promised Mrs. Threet that he "WOULDN'T" promise Zo any playing time... but "WOULD" promise he would get an education.

The author "briefly" leads you through his playing career at Georgetown, the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat, the New Jersey Nets, and back to Miami... but that's not really what this book is truly about. The essence of this story is Zo's being "staggered" by the failure of his powerful SIX-FOOT-NINE-AND-A-HALF-INCH - TWO-HUNDRED-SIXTY-ONE-POUND-BODY. What it felt like to be blind-sided by a relentless disease. How he faced it... how he fought back... both physically... medically... and probably most importantly to Zo... SPIRITUALLY!

Zo had always had faith, but he felt he hadn't been close enough to G-d. "There is close and there is "CLOSE". "It is one thing to walk with G-d and another to walk hand in hand with G-d." He said "I COULD DO A LITTLE BETTER. I COULD BE CLOSER WITH G-D. I COULD BE MORE HONEST WITH G-D." His soul was put at ease after a Pastor told him: "IT WASN'T A MATTER OF G-D ACCEPTING ME, BUT OF ME ACCEPTING G-D."

This book affected me in ways above and beyond my love for basketball. My Dad died from kidney failure so I was knowledgeable about many of the things Zo faced. Zo goes into great detail about fighting back from a life threatening situation... and I know firsthand what that's like... since I almost died during brain tumor surgery around the time Zo was fighting his battle. One thing Zo said many times during this book... that I said over and over to my son... when I faced death... and that's that... THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO ARE A LOT WORSE OFF THAN ME! Zo donates so much of his time to charitable foundations and helps many poor afflicted children facing kidney disease.

It's not often I can say something like this about a professional athlete... but it defines Alonzo Mourning perfectly:

**ZO IS A CHAMPION... ON... AND... OFF... THE COURT!**

I've read 11 of the 14 chapters in this book so far. I've only had it two days. It is truly a great read and I'm usually pretty hard to please.

I don't want to discuss any details and spoil it for anyone who may be reading it. Let's just say there are some inspirational parts, some informative parts, some funny parts, and even some parts that might make you a bit teary.

If you've followed his career closely, you may know quite a bit about some of the things he's mentioned...or at the least you might know some of the highlights of certain things, like his battles with the Knicks and so forth, but it's still very interesting hearing things from his perspective.

I definitely encourage anyone who is facing transplantation (or really, any sort of adversity) to pick up a copy of this book. It's also a good read for basketball fans who like knowing a little bit more about an athlete than what's on the surface, Heat fans who may want to know a little bit more about the man who was the face of their franchise for so many years, young men, misguided men. Honestly, I think that anyone who reads this book can take something away from it. Plus it's enjoyable and a part of the proceeds goes to charity.

Just be warned though. This book is about ALONZO MOURNING! NOT THE HEAT! NOT THE NETS! NOT THE NBA! Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. So don't expect alot of juicy locker room details or something when you get this book. It's a nice clean read but it managed to hold my attention and my attention span is usually very short. Good work Zo.

Human beings often wonder why they are put on this earth. They spend their whole lives attempting to figure it out. Perhaps Alonzo believed basketball was the reason. However, basketball was merely the vehicle
that God used for him to get his real message out to people. He is
a tremendous inspiration. I thank God for his hardships, because they have led to this painful yet touching and motivational work.
I just got back from his signing and met him, I felt his spirit from across the room and broke down in tears. Thanks be to God for a plan in life. Thank you to Alonzo and his publishers for sharing his talents with us. Best to him, Tracy and the kids.