Alonzo Mourning believes that players in the NBA have become too empowered: “It’s kind of gone overboard, It’s unfortunate”

Alonzo Mourning has been out of the NBA since 2008, and during that time, tons of changes have taken the league by storm. However, given that he almost immediately moved to the Miami Heat's front office after he retired, he's seen those changes firsthand.

The increased sense of player empowerment is one of the biggest changes that has completely transformed front offices' operations. And while Mourning thinks player empowerment is good in some cases, he also admitted that he believes it's beginning to get out of hand.

Mourning gets real on the player empowerment movement

Up until recently, teams held most of the leverage when it came to roster building. Sure, players could request trades and bicker over money, but they were typically at their mercy, given that teams held their rights.

That has changed recently, with players controlling where they play more than ever before. Mourning believes that it's great to see that the NBA has come that far, but he also thinks that it's having a negative impact on players, as they don't believe they have to listen to anyone.

" It's changed tremendously," Alonzo Mourning said on All The Smoke . " To be candid, because of the amount of wealth that is generated playing basketball, you mention the word empowerment, I think that from the perspective of players it's kind of gone overboard because they feel so empowered that they don't have to take instruction. It's unfortunate that it's come to that, but it's also a beautiful thing that our game has grown accordingly."

Is player empowerment an issue the NBA needs to deal with?

We've seen guys like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving force their way to specific teams several times over the past few years. If Mourning had tried to do that during his time in the league, he would have simply been laughed at.

Players should have some say over where they play, but it's reaching a point where the players almost believe they should be more powerful than they are. After all, these teams do control their rights in the league, so Mourning is right to point out the issue that is beginning to arise.

Some efforts are being made to curb what players and teams can do with the new salary cap rules that will kick in next offseason, but the issue runs deeper than roster building. If players think they don't need to be coached, more drastic measures need to be taken.

The good news is that it hasn't really impacted the level of play on the court, but Mourning highlights some growing issues that are stemming from player empowerment. And if these issues linger, the NBA will have some big decisions to make in the future.

Related: "The mentality is different" - Alonzo Mourning explains why the international talent will grow and be good for the NBA