NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning was among several honorees recognized at United HomeCare’s 31st Annual Claude Pepper Awards Luncheon at the Pullman Hotel in Miami last week. Mourning received the Thelma Gibson Community Service Award for his work in the community, most notably his work with the Overtown Youth Center, a community development organization founded in 2003 by Mourning and real estate developer Martin Z. Margulies that provides a set of comprehensive programs and services for youth, adults and families in our community.
Now, I’ve been producing the videos for United HomeCare’s Annual Claude Pepper Awards going on 6+ years now but my interview with Alonzo Mourning was one of my most memorable – especially learning that he came from a broken home and was taken in by a foster family when he was only 12 years old. It explained a lot of the “why” he has become so invested in the Overtown community here in Miami.
Photograph of Alonzo Mourning and I courtesy of Orlano Hood
Then there’s his relationship with the late Thelma Gibson, a highly beloved figure in South Florida, known for her tireless advocacy for civil rights, education, and affordable housing who passed away at 99 years old this past February. Him receiving the award that bears her name meant the world to him.
With Mourning having played for rival teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, I kept the fact that I was a life-long Knicks fan to myself until the end of the interview. He just shook his head and chuckled – the kind of reaction you give someone when you kind of feel sorry for them. I took it well. Enjoy the video…