Alonzo Mourning, Penny Hardaway -
NBA players who struggled with injuries in their careers – Part 4
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning played basketball as a center from 1992-2008. He had served in teams like Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and New Jersey and reached the heights of his career and received most of his awards in 1999 and 2000. His
exceptional defensive play earned him the title of National Basketball Association Defensive Player of the Year and got him placed in NBA All-Defensive First Team.
He was also placed in All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Second Team during the same years. In 1990, he received Bronze and Silver Medals in FIBA Championships and Goodwill Games respectively. Apart from these, he was awarded Gold
medals in FIBA World Championships in 1994 and 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
He was a player with career statistics of 14,311 points per game (PPG), 7,137 rebounds and 2,356 blocks 1995-96 NBA season was the best in his career. He scored 23.2 points, 1.0 Steals per game (SPG) and 2.3 assists in seventy
games. His success filled period did not last long enough and playing for Miami (2000-2001), his kidney was affected from a deadly disease of kidney known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
Because of his illness, he missed the whole NBA season of 2002-2003. At the end of year 2003, he took retirement and got a kidney transplant. After he returned and played with the Nets and the Heat, his game did not have the same
intensity. However, in 2006 NBA Finals, Miami Heat used him as a backup of Shaquille O’ Neal but even then he scored 8 points, 5 blocks and 6 rebounds. He got retired in 2009 with his Jersey no. 33 and became the first player ever of the Heat whose jersey
was retired.
Penny Hardaway
Penny Hardaway is one of the best players to have played in NBA. If he would not have been injured so badly during his career, he might have touched the heights of top notch players in NBA. From 1993 to 2007, he played in the Orlando
Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Miami Heat. He was a point guard/ small forward who was a very good scorer and had an outstanding passing accuracy. His career statistics include 10,684 points, 3,525 assists and 3,146 rebounds.
In the 1996 Olympics, he won a Gold medal in Men’s Basketball Competition. In 1994, he was selected for NBA Rookie Game Most Valuable Player. From 1995-1998, he was selected four times for NBA-All Star and got placed twice in All-NBA
First Team (1995 and 1996).
He impressed the basketball fans and critics after his stunning performance in the first Rookie season he played. His game was often compared with Magic Johnson, but in actual, he was much good in his vision of court when it comes
to offense. In 1997-98 season, he suffered from a knee injury, because of which he missed many games in that season. His condition became even worse when he tried to play the All Star Game, not giving his injury the proper time to recover after he underwent
the micro-fracture surgery for his knee.
In the remaining ten years of his career, he was encountered with many injuries that simply ruined his career and he got retirement in 2007. If only he had a long career with less health issues, no doubt, he would have been in
the list of the top guards of NBA.
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