Heat executive Alonzo Mourning is ‘cancer-free’ amid surgery to remove prostate

Former Miami Heat big and current team executive Alonzo Mourning is reportedly “cancer free” after undergoing surgery to remove his stage 3 prostate cancer, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski first reported Monday.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame C Alonzo Mourning underwent surgery to remove his prostate after a diagnosis of Stage 3 prostate cancer, Mourning tells ESPN. Additional testing reveals cancer did not spread and he’s now considered cancer-free. Full story: https://t.co/QQkIU1XN9p

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2024

Mourning opened up to ESPN about the diagnosis.

“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 in an exclusive interview. “The only way to find out is to get their blood tested and get their PSA checked. There are 3.3 million men living in the U.S. with prostate cancer, and many don’t even know it. I was one of those guys.”

According to the American Cancer Society, one in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime and one in 44 men will die of prostate cancer. The ACS estimates that there will be about 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer and 35,250 deaths.

It also states that there has been a three percent increase each year–since 2014–in incidents and a five percent increase for advanced-stage prostate cancer after a sharp decline from 2007-14.

Prostate cancer risk is also higher in African American and Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races, per ACS. It also more likely to develop in older men–particularly those who are 65-years-old or older. According to ACS, about 6-in-10 men who are 65 and older will develop prostate cancer, with the average age of men being 67-years-old when they are first diagnosed.

Mourning turned 54-years-old on Feb. 8.

The 15-year NBA veteran spent 11 seasons with the Miami Heat. He averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 838 career games (686 starts).

Mourning, a Hall of Famer, was a seven-time All-Star, a two-time block champion (1998-00), a two-time All-NBA Honoree, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Heat win their first-ever NBA Title in 2006.

We should all be very thankful that Mourning is cancer-free and healthy!

“I can’t tell you enough about how well my body felt. I was in top-notch shape — running sprints, strong. The doctor told me that he couldn’t believe I had had a kidney transplant,” Mourning said to ESPN. “My partner, Mariona, is waiting for me outside the PET scan, and we are nervous as hell. I’m sitting in the machine with my arms over my head and my mind racing — waiting for the technician to read the scan. We ended up in a cold waiting room waiting for the tech to come in and finally he looks at us and says he’s got good news: The cancer is still in the [prostate] capsule and hasn’t spread.

“Unfortunately, as men, we don’t like to go to the doctor, but this is the only way to find out what’s going on in your body. Prostate and even colon cancer are silent killers and many men won’t get those diagnosis until it’s too late.

“We live in a world where it’s taboo among men to talk about health issues. If I didn’t get routine checkups, I probably wouldn’t be here to talk about this. I want men to be proactive with their health.”

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