Alonzo Mourning announced that he will be coming back next season.
He made the announcement after his charity basketball game Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Mourning said next season will be his last.
Mourning, 37, averaged 8.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.31 blocks per game in 20.4 minutes per game last season. He ranked sixth in the league in blocks per game.
Mourning, who will be entering his 15th season in the league, will earn $2.75 million in 2007-08. Before the game, he expressed faith that the Heat would remain a serious contender.
''As long as we have a healthy [Shaquille O'Neal] and a healthy [Dwyane Wade], you can put a decent group of guys around them and I think we'll be all right,'' he said.
He said before the game that he expects Pat Riley back as coach. ''I think he's got an incredible basketball mind, and he continues to want to share it with the world and with this team,'' he said. ``I don't see him retiring.''
Mourning also expressed disappointment about point guard Mo Williams' decision to re-sign with Milwaukee, though he said he understood Williams taking an offer worth $20 million more than Miami's. ''I thought we had a player in Mo Williams coming, but he pulled his commitment out at the last minute,'' Mourning said.
Williams' agent, Mark Bartelstein, denied that Williams backed out of a deal with the Heat, calling that ``preposterous.''
Mourning expressed confidence the Heat will upgrade the roster.
''I know the Heat organization is trying to improve,'' he said. ``When we won the championship, we had Gary Payton and [Jason Williams] playing great basketball. We need point guards that are effective and . . . making championship plays and continue to move the process of the team forward.''
He made the announcement after his charity basketball game Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Mourning said next season will be his last.
Mourning, 37, averaged 8.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.31 blocks per game in 20.4 minutes per game last season. He ranked sixth in the league in blocks per game.
Mourning, who will be entering his 15th season in the league, will earn $2.75 million in 2007-08. Before the game, he expressed faith that the Heat would remain a serious contender.
''As long as we have a healthy [Shaquille O'Neal] and a healthy [Dwyane Wade], you can put a decent group of guys around them and I think we'll be all right,'' he said.
He said before the game that he expects Pat Riley back as coach. ''I think he's got an incredible basketball mind, and he continues to want to share it with the world and with this team,'' he said. ``I don't see him retiring.''
Mourning also expressed disappointment about point guard Mo Williams' decision to re-sign with Milwaukee, though he said he understood Williams taking an offer worth $20 million more than Miami's. ''I thought we had a player in Mo Williams coming, but he pulled his commitment out at the last minute,'' Mourning said.
Williams' agent, Mark Bartelstein, denied that Williams backed out of a deal with the Heat, calling that ``preposterous.''
Mourning expressed confidence the Heat will upgrade the roster.
''I know the Heat organization is trying to improve,'' he said. ``When we won the championship, we had Gary Payton and [Jason Williams] playing great basketball. We need point guards that are effective and . . . making championship plays and continue to move the process of the team forward.''
The aging Miami frontcourt returns for another year. They still got monsters on the Defensive end though. But they need a PG right now.
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