Alonzo Mourning May Not Retire After All

When ZO went down with a torn patella tendon and quadriceps in his right leg last month, most of us assumed that . After all, he was pretty clear before the injury that this would be his final season, and considering how badly he messed up his knee, there's really no chance of him returning this year.

But while talking to reporters on Monday, Mourning made it clear that he's un-made up his mind about 2008-09 and is leaving the door open for a:

"Right now, my focus is just to get healthy," Mourning said. "I haven't really thought about if I'm going to retire or not. But my focus is getting healthy, being able to run and walk, and once I overcome that hurdle I'll be prepared to let you know if I'm going to play again."

Especially considering all that he's overcome in his career, Mourning has actually aged quite gracefully and remains a tenacious defender and capable rebounder -- before going down, he was certainly one of the top backup centers in the league.

But what's his incentive to return? Is it just to prove that he can? He's already won a title, he's already made more money than he'll ever spend and he's cemented his status as one of the toughest players to ever play the game. The Heat, meanwhile, are simply terrible, and while they'll be better next year (imagine Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley joining the starting lineup), it's too early to think they'll be a legitimate playoff team. Mourning has been loyal to Pat Riley, but this year before moving to the front-office full-time. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing we've seen the last of Mourning.
kaynak : NBA