FanHouse Interviews

Hedo Turkoglu was ballin' last year. There's really no other way to say it. On top of nailing clutch shots against the Celtics and Pistons (leaving TV execs who had scheduled the Magic during main events as fodder saying "Who?!"), being second on the Magic in points, rebounds, and assists, 'Turk' topped it off by winning the NBA's Most Improved Player Award. So what do you do after you've helped the Magic to a division title, their first playoff win in over a decade, and won the Most Improved Player award? I talked to Hedo recently to find out.

MM: What did winning the Most Improved Player Award mean to you?

HT: It meant a lot. It was like getting an award from the people that showed how much I've improved, not just statistically but as a player. It put me at the All-Star level, at the headliner level, since I didn't make the All-Star team. It mean a lot for people to recognize how far I've come

Alonzo Mourning will be remembered for a lot of things. Like this. And these. But maybe most of all for his passion. After fifteen years in the league, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, a kidney transplant and subsequent comeback, and one, satisfying championship, Mourning has built his legacy in the NBA on that passion. Since overcoming the illness that nearly ended his career, however, Zo has also begun building his legacy off the court, through extensive charity work. The crown of that legacy is his annual Zo's Summer Groove event in South Beach. It's going on this weekend, and Zo took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk to me about Zo's Summer Groove, his defensive legacy, and where he sees his life after basketball.


MM: Alonzo, thanks so much for your time, I know you're busy this weekend.

Zo: No problem, man, no problem at all. Nice to talk to you.

MM: So, what are you up to down in Miami?