Alonzo Mourning received a heartwarming standing ovation before the Miami Heat's season opener against the Orlando Magic.
The basketball star announced last month that he will miss playing this season because of a kidney disorder.
"I appreciate the love, the support, the prayers," he told the crowd Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena in Miami. "That's going to get me through all of this."
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Doctors said they detected Mourning's illness after the 6-foot-10 center helped the U.S. team win the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Sydney. He is being treated with medication in an effort to avoid dialysis or a transplant.