Alonzo Mourning Quotations

I had to develop the mentality and stay positive about making my comeback.

Tough times don't last, but tough people do. And I've been through some tough times, and I know a lot of people can recall tough times, and maybe are going through some tough times right now, but they don't last.

I'm excited about what the future will bring and I think the best is yet to come.

I think in every lesson there's a blessing, and there's so many blessings from all the lessons I've had to go through in life.

I feel that each and every one of us as individuals has a responsibility to one another. None of us would be here without the help of someone else - whether it be guardians, teachers, parents, relatives, etc. - someone contributed to your well being as a person. We're all connected in so many different ways.

There's a disappointment there because I still feel there's an emptiness in my career that just wasn't filled.

I know that all good things must come to an end and I've had an incredible ride. I just want to end it on the right note.

A win is a win, regardless of how you look at it.

I am reaching a point in my life where the basketball chapter in my life is slowly closing from a competition standpoint.

If we all make a concerted effort and try to improve the life of someone else, then this world would be a better place to live in.

Once my doctor began treating my kidney disease, my greatest challenge was the constant exhaustion. Fortunately, my doctor explained that anemia was causing my exhaustion and that people with serious illnesses, like kidney disease, may be at increased risk for anemia.

I was hurting. I had some ailments I was dealing with. It's not like I was holding out.

If I would have listened to other people back in 2000 telling me I should have stopped playing basketball because of a kidney disease, I wouldn't have won a world championship.

My health is the No. 1 concern and my longevity is the No. 1 concern.

There's nobody else on the face of this earth that's playing a sport at a highest level... with a transplant. That alone continues to inspire me, because I realize throughout the whole world the struggles that people are going through. I need to inspire them the best way I can.

I listen to myself, I listen to my body, my mind; I follow my heart.

When the new ownership came in, they made some decisions I wasn't pleased with. And when they changed the whole aspect of it, I just totally lost interest.

You can play a particular sport as long as you take good care of your body and you're confident enough and still have that hunger to where you want to be a part of an organization, a group of individuals where you feel you can contribute to the success of that team.

I've got to make some decisions just like any other player that has ever played this game, that eventually the clock stops, their basketball clock stops.

I want to live 50 more years. I'm 33 years old... and I want to live to at least be 80 and see my kids grow up and see my grandkids. That's important to me.

I have an incredible amount of basketball knowledge, and I think a lot of that is derived from having a Hall of Fame college basketball coach who was very knowledgeable of the game and I had a great high school coach who was also very knowledgeable.

I feel like in America, we don't have a kid problem. You think about all these issues that these kids are dealing with, we have an adult problem. We have adults that do not place the priority on our kids to get a valuable education.

I can still play this game at a high level; I've proven that. I want to be home. I want to be close to my family. I want to be close to my foundation and my business interests.

I had individuals in my life to help me make the right decisions because it wasn't about them accepting handouts. It was about them making the right decisions for me.

I've got to worry about Alonzo Mourning, because a year or two ago there was a chance that Alonzo Mourning wouldn't be standing here talking to you. That's the cold reality of it.

We got babies raising babies, and its important for us as responsible adults to go out and do what we can to make sure that our kids are steered in the right direction.

So many people feel that once you reach a certain age then it's time for you to retire from a sport you love. I don't think that's true at all. I think age should not dictate that.

When we get our minds to playing defense, we can turn any game around. I hope we get to a more consistent level of play.

We know we have to improve defensively to be a contender down the stretch. I just hope we don't run out of time.

We did nothing but breathe life into this team, that's all we did.

What I'll say is this: I respect his consistency. Never missing a game in 31 years, that's something.

We've got to stop worrying about the offense, too. Our biggest concern should be our defense.

It is discouraging. But at the time same, I know it could have been worse.

We can't look at them. We've got to go out there and do it ourselves. We're foolish if we're trying to look at the referees.

Time and work. I just hope we don't run out of time.

Kobe Bryant is the most talented player in the game today; he could do anything.

We've got babies raising babies, and it's important for us as responsible adults to go out and do what we can to make sure that our kids are steered in the right direction.

You can want and hope, or you can make it happen.

We can't turn and look at the refs for answers. We did nothing but breathe life into that team. It was nothing but a CPR session out there. They just kept waltzing to the basket.

We've been on big fellow's shoulders the whole year. We expect him to help us get where we need to go, and that's to the finals. But we know he can't do it by himself. Man, he just turned 34.

The record pretty much tells it all. We have to improve to get where we want to be. There's no science to it.

Every day that it continues to progress, I'm able to see improvement.

Everything is just falling into place. I do feel great. I feel good, thank God. I'm very, very appreciative of this opportunity that I have. And I play the game like I'm appreciative, because I truly am. I know a couple years ago, I didn't think I was going to be able to do this again.

The series isn't over. I've just got to wait and see. I've got to keep progressing. As long as I keep progressing, I'll keep feeling positive.

I've been around him 10 years with him. You never ever know what he's going to so you can expect anything.

I've been around for nine or 10 years with him. You never ever know what he's going to do, so you can expect anything. Hey, as long as we're collecting wins when he's doing it, that's all that counts.

Always treasure the opportunity. He's got another opportunity to play again when he's 28, 29. Enjoy it. Enjoy it while you can.

All of us needed to contribute in order for us to get that win. Some nights are going to be like that.

It's an unfortunate circumstance. But if I had to pick a time to get injured, I'd have picked this time, before we go into the post-season.

It's a matter of when my leg is ready. We're talking about 16 games we've got to win (en route to the NBA championship), and I want to make the right decision. As we progress, I want to be 100 percent instead of 75 percent or 65 percent.

It's devastating to lose anybody in your family. But I don't know a man who's not close with his mom.

I'm going to make sure that I'm healthy before I come back. It's important for me to be right before I step back on the court, especially going into the post-season. I don't want to risk coming back too early and injuring it again. It wouldn't be worth it.

I'm sure these two years have given him some time to reflect and think differently. But at the same time, I know we'll get into some intense situations on the court. And if we're not playing up to our potential, we're going to see the old Riles.

I'll carry the torch until it needs to be passed. Hopefully, God willing, I plan on finishing my career here, if it be this year or maybe next year.

Because he draws so much attention and is so aggressive attacking the basket, I'd like to see him find the open man just a little bit more. He could average 10 assists a game if he made a concerted effort to do that. But the man is only 24 years old.

Come on, man. He's 24 years old. When I was 24 years old, I could play all year round. I was always looking for a run. Always.

All I know is we're going into the All-Star beak on a positive note. But we haven't achieved anything. Nobody has done anything except gotten to the All-Star break.

The effort that we put forth, it's not his fault. He put the guys in that he trusted, that he thought would get the job done.