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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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 Mourning missed 24 games in the 97/98 with injuries. Miami would not
be denied, as they won their second Atlantic Division crown. Although Zo’s
numbers were all new career lows (19.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks),
they were still remarkable.
The Miami Heat began round one of the playoffs against none other than the
New York Knicks. With Miami set to win game 4, Larry Johnson and Alonzo
Mourning erupted, exchanging fists and stirring up the rivalry even more in a
boiling matchup in Madison Square Garden. Both players were ejected with 3.4
seconds in the game, and Pat Riley was overheard saying to Mourning “You cost
us the F…ing season!”. Although the Knicks were without Larry Johnson,
Mourning’s absence in Miami proved lethal. Miami trailed by 20 at one point,
and Tim Hardaway led the Heat troops to a near comeback, but no Zo meant no
show for the Heat in round 2, as New York took over and won 98-81, sending
Miami to a very long long summer.
Although the Heat finished 55-27 that season, losing to New York in round one
was a huge disappointment, but New York had much more planned for Alonzo
Mourning, Tim Hardaway and the Miami Heat.
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