Alonzo Mourning's retirement is off just hours after the Miami Heat center made it official.
A spokesman for the Heat said a story erroneously was placed on the team's web site Monday confirming that Mourning will call it quits.
The 37-year-old Mourning, who entered his 15th NBA season saying it would be his last, saw it cut short when he tore the patella tendon and quadriceps tendon in his right knee on December 19.
After undergoing an operation, Mourning ruled out the possibility of a 16th season in an interview posted on the Heat's official web site earlier Monday.
"I'm retired," he said. "This is it for me."
Later in the day, a team official said the story was incorrect and that it was removed from the web site.
Mourning suffered the tear as he raced down the court and planted beneath the rim to block a shot in the first quarter of the Heat's 117-111 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Since being drafted second overall by Charlotte out of Georgetown in 1992, Mourning played in 837 games for the Hornets, Miami and New Jersey. He began his second spell with the Heat in 2004.
Mourning owns career averages of 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The seven-time All-Star won one championship with Miami in 2006.
A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Mourning defeated the odds just by stepping on the court in recent years. He was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease in 2003 and returned for the 2004-05 season after a transplant.
kaynak : NBA
