Inspiring Comebacks

Several of Alonzo Mourning’s athletic peers have come back from serious illnesses:

Lance Armstrong, cycling: Diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, Armstrong won the Tour de France in 1999 and 2000.

Paul Azinger, golf: Azinger enjoyed perhaps his finest season in 1993 before being diagnosed with lymphoma in his right shoulder blade. He resumed his career in 1994 after chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Rolf Benirschke, football: Collapsing on the Charger team plane during the 1979 season, Benirschke required emergency surgery that removed most of his large intestine and left him wearing two ostomy appliances. He returned in 1980 and played seven more seasons in the NFL, all while battling ulcerative colitis.

Eric Davis, baseball: Davis was diagnosed with colon cancer while playing for the Baltimore Orioles in May 1997. By scheduling his chemotherapy appointments around games, he returned to the lineup later that season.

Gail Devers, track and field: Suffering from Graves disease from 1988 to 1991, Devers was in danger of having her feet amputated. She fully recovered and won back-to-back gold medals in the 100-meter dash at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Sean Elliott, basketball: Elliott became the first player in NBA history to return after a kidney transplant when he played for the Spurs in March 2000, less than seven months after receiving a kidney that had been donated by his older brother Noel.

Andres Galarraga, baseball: Galarraga missed the 1999 season because of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his back. He made a successful comeback this summer, batting .302 with 28 home runs and 100 run batted in.

Magic Johnson, basketball: After announcing his retirement because of a positive test result for the HIV virus in November 1991, Johnson briefly returned to pro basketball with the 1992 Olympic Dream Team and 1996 Lakers.

Mario Lemieux, hockey: Sitting out the 1994-95 season because of Hodgkin’s disease, Lemieux returned in 1995-96, playing in 70 games and leading the NHL in scoring with 166 points (69 goals, 97 assists).

Darryl Strawberry, baseball: Colon cancer put Strawberry out of action during the 1998 ALCS. He made a successful return to the Yankees roster the next season.