Miami Heat icon Alonzo Mourning has gone public with his recent battle against Stage 3 prostate cancer, revealing that he underwent surgery to remove his prostate in a bid to oust the disease. The report, released by CBS Miami, details how subsequent testing confirmed that Mourning's cancer had not spread, and he's now in the clear.
Speaking with ESPN, Mourning, a revered figure in the world of basketball and beyond, explained how his diagnosis came as a shock, one that he hopes to leverage into a clarion call for men to undergo routine screenings, "What scares me about this disease is that there are so many men walking around feeling great and have that cancer in them and they don't know it," Mourning told ESPN, stressing the seemingly silent pervasiveness of the condition with 3.3 million men living in the U.S. with prostate cancer, many of whom are blissfully unaware. His tenure with Miami Heat spanned from 1995 to 2002 and then again from 2005 to 2008, during which time he left an indelible mark on the franchise including helping secure their first NBA championship in 2006, as reported by Local 10.
Local 10 recounts Mourning's celebrated career as a seven-time NBA All-Star, NBA champion, and an Olympic gold medalist, Mourning's acclaim on the court is well documented and with the retirement of his number 33 jersey, his legacy with the Heat is immortalized.
Mourning's experience with cancer has emboldened the NBA Hall of Famer to become an advocate for health awareness, particularly for men who might be at risk for prostate cancer, he is urging men to get their blood tested and check their PSA levels, a simple precaution that could be lifesaving. During his interview with ESPN, Mourning conveyed a determined message to encourage men to not take their health for granted, saying, "The only way to find out is to get their blood tested and get their PSA checked," as per Local 10 news report.
