What happened to Alonzo Mourning? Naismith Hall of Famer's health scare explored

On Monday afternoon, the NBA world got a positive health update regarding Alonzo Mourning. The Hall of Fame big man had a procedure done to help aid him in his battle with cancer.

In March, Mourning found out he had prostate cancer following a routine screening. He had surgery to remove his prostate. Later tests revealed that there was no additional spreading, and Mourning is now officially cancer-free.

In an interview with ESPN, Alonzo Mourning talked about how one simple check-up completely changed his life.

"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 said. "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."

Mourning enjoyed a 15-year career in the NBA that eventually led to him making the Hall of Fame. Since his retirement in the late 2000s, he has worked with the Miami Heat in their front office. Mourning's main area of focus is player development.

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Breaking down Alonzo Mourning's NBA career

Alonzo Mourning began his NBA career in 1992 when the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the second overall pick. He'd spend the first three years of his career in Charlotte, solidifying himself as a dominant two-way force in the league.

After his third season with the Hornets, Mourning moved to the Miami Heat. He spent seven years with the Heat before missing an entire season due to a kidney disease.

Upon returning to the league in 2004, Alonzo Mourning joined the then-New Jersey Nets. He played there for just one-and-a-half seasons before eventually winding back up with the Heat.

In his second run with the Heat, Mourning was part of the championship team led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. After playing in just 25 games in 2008, he retired at the age of 37.

Mourning finished his career with a list of accolades, including being a seven-time All-Star, one-time champion, two-time blocks leader, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Mourning played in 838 games and finished with averages of 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks.