East Rutherford, N.J.
New Jersey Nets center Alonzo Mourning said this week that he was quitting basketball because he needs a kidney transplant. The announcement came just months after Mourning signed a four-year, $20 million deal to play for the Nets. Mourning, 33, was diagnosed three years ago with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which can cause kidney failure. The four-time all-star missed most of the last three seasons, with the Miami Heat, because of the illness, but vowed to keep playing as long as he could. Doctors said Mourning’s condition had deteriorated so rapidly in recent weeks that it was no longer safe for him to play, and they launched a search for a donor. “If I’m going to do this,” Mourning said, “I need to do it right now.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Is social media over?Today’s Big Question We may look back on 2025 as the moment social media jumped the shark
-
Should parents stop tracking their kids?Talking Point Experts warn the line between care and control is getting murkier – and could have consequences
-
How drones have detected a deadly threat to Arctic whalesUnder the radar Monitoring the sea in the air
