South Hampton Roads' Top 50 Athletes: Alonzo Mourning

Hometown: Chesapeake

Sport: Basketball

Rank: 4 (ahead of Kenny Easley and behind Pernell Whitaker)

Born: 1970

Claim to fame: Seven-time NBA all-star, two-time NBA defensive player of the year, Olympic gold medalist

ÒResilienceÓ is the title of Mourning's recently released memoir. ÒDenialÓ was what he served up on the court. Blessed with length, at 6-foot-10, Mourning's timing, tenacity and instincts made him one of the most feared shot blockers the game has seen. A phenom at Indian River High, he almost made the Olympic team at 18 in 1988, before heading off to Georgetown. There, he was a three-time All-American and set an NCAA record for blocks in a career. The No. 2 pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, Mourning was a tireless physical marvel and one of the NBA's top big men for eight years with Charlotte and Miami until kidney disease sidelined him in 2001. Mourning continued playing, even making the All-Star game in 2002. His health worsened and he retired in 2003, when he underwent a kidney transplant. But he was back within a year and eventually returned to Miami, where he was a reserve on the Heat's 2006 championship team. Still not ruling out another comeback while rehabilitating an injured knee this season, Mourning is heavily involved in philanthropic work, including raising money for kidney research.