Alonzo Mourning To Get Kidney Transplant - Retires from NBA

[THUNDER HANDS]

Nets center Alanzo Mourning retired on Monday, after getting word from his doctors that continued play would be a health risk. Magic Rat was temporarily shocked and saddened by the news, which left his New Jersey Nets team on rocky footing as they headed into a five-game West Coast road trip.

Awww, fuck. And Alonzo was starting to play well too. :(

[democracyindanger]

1. I wonder

what Kenyon has to say now...

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. he was such a jerk

How can you goof on a kidney injury? The man's life was endangered and here's Kenyon Martin, who sat out his last season in college and his first in the NBA with leg injuries and just spent a few days on IR with an ankle injury. He should be the last person to comment on someone else's ailments.

At least Mourning's contract was insured, which means he can be taken off the salary cap and we can go out and sign McGrady or Bryant next year.

[lazarus]

4. yes he was

And so was Jefferson, IIRC.

Are you going to have near the cap room to sign a max player next year? You'll definitely have to dump KMart, and probably Jefferson, as well.

[Tummler]

9. No cap room

The Nets already have $57M in committed salary for the '04-'05 season. The salary cap is expected to be ~$47M. Did you know: the Nets are paying Kerry Kittles $9M this season and $10M next season? :o

I'm not sure how the Mutombo buyout affects their cap, but they'll be over the cap even if some of his $12.7M comes off next year's team salary (due to the substantial "cap hit" for Martin's rights).

Martin's new deal (or a sign-and-trade) will only add to their salary woes. He'll be a restricted free agent, and the Nets will almost certainly extend a qualifying offer of $6.7M to Martin. That will also count against the cap until they renounce his rights or re-sign him (to a deal of at least $10M, probably).

(BTW, I am the Spurs Fan Formerly Known as Cleve Steamer.)

[lazarus]

11. Howdy, Cleve

I figured you'd be able to chime in with some capology on this.

[Tummler]

8. Unfortunately for the Nets

...the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn't work like that. Insurance may pay Zo's salary, but he still counts against the salary cap.

At any rate, the Nets would be way, way over the salary cap with or without Zo. K-Mart's new deal will only push them further into luxury-tax territory, and Jefferson will do the same in a couple more years. Rod Thorn will have to do some creative wheelin' and dealin' to improve that squad, 'cause their free-agency options are limited.

It sucks for Zo that he's gotten so sick, but everyone except Rod Thorn and hardcore Nets fans (all 53 of them) expected this to happen sooner or later. Having been through the Sean Elliott thing as a Spurs fan, I myself didn't think Zo would last the year, but I'm surprised he had to call it quits this early. May he find a compatible donor ASAP!

[lazarus]

3. Damn

Sorry about that, Rat. Us Spurs fans went through that with Sean Elliot. But it's all about his health, you know?

I think Byron Scott is in trouble, though.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. oh yeah Byron is in trouble

I totally think that Byron will be out next year and Pat Riley installed as the new coach.

I also think the Nets will go after McGrady or Bryant in a sign-and-trade with Kenyon Martin and another player.

[lazarus]

7. won't be Bryant, then

One thing the Lakers don't need is another post player. :D

[Tummler]

10. You're correct, of course

...but wouldn't it be interesting to see K-Mart derisively laugh at Shaq for finishing last in practice sprints? :)

[GOPisEvil]

5. Alonzo seemed like an OK guy.

I hope he is able to make a full recovery. Sean Elliott was fortunate enough to have a brother donate a kidney to him. I hope Alonzo is as lucky.

[OneBlueSky]

12. did the Nets give up anything to get Mourning . . .

or was he a free agent signing? . . . I forget . . .

[lazarus]

15. Free agent

They just gave up lots and lots of money.

[Ilsa]

13. One of the San Antonio Spurs (Sean Elliott)

got a kidney transplant from his bro and played again the next season (2001-02 season?). But he was in exceptionally great health otherwise.

[lazarus]

14. Yeah, but

He only played 19 games in 2000, then 52 games in 2001, and was never the same. His stats plummeted, and eventually, I believe, the doctors told him it just wasn't going to work out.

I don't see Alonzo ever coming back.

Kenyon Martin is a punkass who ought to be slapped upside the head for what he did.

[sujan]

19. what did martin do?

[lazarus]

20. here you go

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1667330

New Jersey Nets teammates Alonzo Mourning and Kenyon Martin nearly came to blows at practice on Thursday.


According to several published reports, Mourning was last in his group to the finish line at the end of grueling conditioning drills and heard laughter from players.

snip

Martin also mocked Mourning's recent performance on the court and said Mourning wouldn't have to run if he would improve his rebounding. Mourning responded by questioning the leadership and toughness of Martin.

snip

"At least I'm out there on the court, not in the training room. I'm trying to make the best of my time," Mourning reportedly told Martin. "You can't be a leader in the trainer's room crying, 'My ankle, my ankle.'''


Martin was said to have responded with a similar remark about Mourning's kidney ailment.

[REP]

16. He Has The Same Thing I Do

Mourning reportedly has focal segmetal glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a disease of unknown etiology that is common in black men (I have it just to be different). There is no effective treatment, and a transplant is not a cure for FSGS; often the transplanted kidney will start exhibiting symptoms of FSGS during the surgery. After the tx, he's looking at prednisone and cyclosporine to prevent rejection. I have no idea how Elliott, who also has FSGS, is able to play.

And why is a rich guy getting a transplant *before* he's even on dialysis??? I'm B- - the worst blood group for a transplant - and any guesses about whether I'll even be on the UNOS list before I go into complete failure? Organ distribution is supposed to be based on need ... a guy who could play professional basketball up until Monday is not in the most need.

[lazarus]

17. Elliott can't play anymore

It's a miracle he was able to play. Nobody outside the organisation knew, heck, hardly any of his teammates knew, but for two years, he was actually undergoing dialysis and still playing.

He finally retired in 2001.

Mourning was only playing maybe 15-20 minutes a game. And he doesn't have a donor lined up by any means, at least one or two articles I've read have talked about the "long wait" he may be facing to get a donor. Elliott was lucky, as his brother was a perfect match.

[REP]

18. Must Have Done CAPD

Otherwise, an AV fistula (in the arm) is pretty fucking hard to overlook. CAPD is done through the belly, but hard to see how he would risk physical contact with either kind of access.

If Mourning is not on dialysis, he'll be waiting for a long time, unless UNOS is a corrupt as I think they are. Patients are not allowed on the waiting list until they're on dialysis (and some still wait to get on the list) or if sudden failure is expected, which is not the case with FSGS (what disease he has may have been misreported, so he could have something more immediately dangerous.

[lazarus]

21. Sadly

I imagine they are as corrupt as you think they are. Money talks, as always.