Alonzo Mourning injured his knee and fell to the court in Atlanta on Wednesday. When Miami teammate Udonis Haslem went to try and help him up, Alonzo said four words, “It’s over, it’s over.” Doctors diagnosed the injury as a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. Under many circumstances, players with this injury need about three months to recover, but at 37 years old, this could be the end of the line for Zo.

With Alonzo Mourning, you never know what to expect – many people thought his career was over after his kidney disease. Mourning has already said he won’t return next season, and as focused and proud as he is, it’s impossible to believe that he’d return to the court if he was unable to contribute.

With that in mind, Hoya Hoops spoke with some people who knew Alonzo in different capacities. Dwayne Bryant, his former Georgetown teammate, Rich Chvotkin, long-time Voice of the Hoyas, and Dave Johnson, radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards were all gracious enough to share their thoughts on Alonzo Mourning.

On Alonzo’s impact arriving at Georgetown in the fall of 1988

Rich Chvotkin: He was such a tremendous high school basketball player, and at that time Georgetown was in the need of another center. People were really looking forward to him because John Thompson in 1988 was the Olympic coach, and Alonzo had spent a lot of time in tryouts even to make the Olympic team. He never did make that final cut, but he practiced with them all that summer, so basically he was getting himself prepared for college basketball, playing against some of the better players prior to that.

Dwayne Bryant: I think he was the player of the year coming out of high school, and I think he wanted to show everybody why he was the player of the year. He was obviously the centerpiece of the success we had those two years that I played with him. I was always amazed at how hard he practiced and how he brought it everyday.

On Alonzo’s recovery from kidney disease

Dave Johnson: From a financial standpoint, he could’ve gone off into the sunset and enjoyed a nice retirement, but clearly his desire and his love of the game was that strong; and I think in an age where so much is focused on how much money NBA players are making, he demonstrated that the money’s nice, but there was more that he was in the game for.

Rich Chvotkin: The tremendous will and perseverance to fight through that just shows what a great warrior he was, and it was more than just basketball that he stood for; and he continues to be a champion for that. In all fairness, he did things both on and off the court that were very memorable.

What has been the most impressive part of Alonzo’s Career?

Dwayne Bryant: I think people list Alonzo at 6′10″ or something like that, but a guy his size, I’d probably say 6′9″, to be able to be [NBA] Defensive Player of the Year, playing against guys that are much bigger than he is night after night just gives onus to the fact that he was a warrior. He was a guy that brought it every night; it didn’t matter who he played against. As a basketball player playing against him going to the basket, if he was in the game, you knew you had to make a spectacular play to get a bucket on him.

Dave Johnson: He was just a dominant player; he had a tremendous will and desire. Being a part of a championship team, puts him in a position where he’s leaving a legacy as a true winner and someone who was determined to get that goal of a champion. As much as we talk about great teams and great players, when you really look at the history of the NBA, there are really not that many championship teams. He goes out leaving a legacy as a determined winner and a champion, and that’s something that many, many great players exited the game without accomplishing. If this is it for him, he can look back at all the numbers and the wins and losses, but he’s also defined as a champion – that alone separates him.

Rich Chvotkin: I’ll never forget this, when I went to the Gulf War – right before I went, he put his arm around me and he said, “I hope things work out well for you.” And when I came back, he said, “I’m glad to see you back alive.” Just that little extra 10, 15, 20 seconds means so much, that he thinks more than just basketball; he thinks about you as a human being, and I think they’re the kinds of things that make the difference between an individual who’s just there, and an individual who is more involved.