Heat legend Alonzo Mourning says being remembered as a meme is ‘hilarious’
Alonzo Mourning has two legacies.
For Miami Heat fans, he’s the seven-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, NBA champion whose No. 33 jersey was the first to grace the rafters of American Airlines Arena. To those with no knowledge of his NBA legacy, he’s best known for giving the internet arguably one of the greatest memes of all time.
The gif — a shot of Mourning staring off into space before shrugging and slowly nodding his head — has become synonymous with hesitancy, especially when confronted with unfavorable circumstances. Business Insider’s Meredith Cash recently caught up with the Hall of Fame big man and asked what it’s like to be remembered in such an unique way.
“I have gotten asked about that gif a lot,” Mourning told Cash. “It is very funny. It’s hilarious to sit back and watch.”
The image was captured in 2006 during the fourth quarter of the Heat’s regular-season opener against the Chicago Bulls. Down 30 at the time, Mourning would finish with only one point and two rebounds in 15 minutes. It’s safe to say he wasn’t pleased with his performance.
“Did you see the score?” Mourning continued. “If you look at the score of the game, you can see why I had that facial expression. I’m somebody that hates to lose.”
While he couldn’t remember exactly what was going through his head, Mourning speculated as to what might’ve been going through his head.
“I’d like to think I was actually talking to myself,” Mourning said.
What he was saying, however, is up for debate. Regardless, young people and internet users alike are forever indebted to him for providing such an emotive form of self-expression.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 12:25 PM.
