Shaq vs. Alonzo: Now, There’s a Rivalry

The return of Pat Riley? The undercard.

The most prominent accompanying storyline to the showdown between division leaders when the Miami Heat plays the Lakers tonight at the Forum is Shaquille O’Neal against Alonzo Mourning.

Mourning said last season that Joe Kleine was the strongest center he had faced. Thursday, O’Neal said, “There’s only five legitimate, dominating centers in this league, so there’s a little bit of a rivalry amongst us. But any time I play another center, they’re above their heads.”

It’s a rivalry. It’s a car dealership.

“I don’t talk money, but I know if Alonzo Mourning got $105 [million] or whatever, then I’m supposed to get not a lot more, but that’s a business decision,” O’Neal said earlier of Mourning’s contract, which helped boost his to an eventual $120 million. “If a Beamer costs $32,000, a Benz costs $39,000. That’s just the law. I don’t know why it’s like that, but it’s like that.”