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PRE-NBA
Young Zo
College
Years
Charlotte
NBA Rookie
All-Star Reserve
Superstar
Miami
Heat
First Season
61 Win Season
Suspension
Master of Rejection
Defensive Expert
Medical Defense
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 The Hornets declined to increase their 7 year/$70 million contract offer to Mourning, and rumors broke out that
Charlotte’s franchise center has served his last days as a Hornet. Miami was
one of many who were after Alonzo Mourning.
When the 1995 season began, Miami had a new center, none other than Alonzo
Mourning. Zo was one of a few Hornets who were traded, and Miami sent away a
few of their own, including Glen Rice and Matt Geiger.
Miami’s new head coach and Miami’s new center, Zo, now had the task to turn
Miami into a convincing defensive force among the other 28 teams in the NBA.
In Zo’s first season in Miami, he set a new career high average at 23.2 ppg.
He brought down 10.4 rebounds per game and set a franchise record by
averaging 2.7 blocks. Mourning was named to the NBA All-Star team, becoming
the first All-Star in HEAT history.
On March 29, 1995 against Washington, Mourning set a new career high by
scoring 50 points. On another occasion that season, Zo missed an opportunity
to become the fifth player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double. He
needed one more block and three more assists in that game and he would have
succeeded.
The Heat slipped into the playoffs as the 8th and final seed in the Eastern
Conference during the 1996 NBA Playoffs. Zo and newly acquired stars Tim
Hardaway and Walt Williams were the Heat’s leaders. Miami got the privilege
to face the Chicago Bulls team who went 72-10 during the regular season.
Obviously, the thought of Chicago losing 3 of the next 5 just wasn’t
conceivable.
The Chicago Bulls made quick work out of Miami, winning the series 3-0.
During those three games Mourning averaged 18.0 points and 6 rebounds. His
best game he saved for last, when he scored 30 points, which tied the Heat’s
record for most points in a playoff game.
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