‘He saw my hunger and my approach to the game and my professionalism. We developed this brotherly type of relationship and respect for one another, stronger respect even more because we complemented one another.’
on the development of his relationship with Shaquille O’Neal in 1999 and 2000.
“Every time we played against each other, it was an absolute war because we were both marking our territory, establishing who was going to be the best,” Mourning said. “Unfortunately, I ran into some physical obstacles throughout my career, but when we played each other, it was war. We went after each other. He knows that, too.”
Mourning’s career was derailed when he was diagnosed with a life-threatening kidney disease that forced him to miss nearly two years and undergo a kidney transplant. This was in the prime of his career (before the 2002 season) and when Shaq was coming off three consecutive titles with the Lakers.
Mourning eventually returned. After a brief stint in New Jersey, he was not playing in the spring of 2005 when he received a phone call from the one man he has trusted more than any other in his professional career, Heat President Pat Riley.
“Basically, Pat told me, ‘Shaq wants you here,’” Mourning said. “When I came here, he said, ‘Look, I want to win, you want to win. You helped start this. And I want you here.’ He said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
The Heat had acquired Shaq the previous summer, believing by teaming him with Dwyane Wade, the path to a championship would be paved. But now, they were asking Zo to return and team up with his biggest nemesis to help increase those chances.
Remember, this rivalry was heated. Shaq was outspoken. He never cared for political correctness and never spared feelings. He mocked Mourning (and Christian Laettner) in a rap song and once compared himself to a Mercedes and Mourning to a BMW.
Shaq even admitted to backing out of a deal with Orlando that would have paid him $80 million when he heard Mourning was re-signing with Miami for more than $100 million. This even though Shaq’s deal was for just four years while Mourning’s was for seven. The Magic never raised their offer and Shaq was off to L.A.
“I wanted more than him, he wanted more than me,” Mourning said. “It was a competition.”
Mourning says now the comments never bothered him. “That’s Shaq, though, he hasn’t changed a bit,” he said. But that’s easy to say now considering how the relationship turned.
About 15 months after becoming teammates, Shaq and Mourning were celebrating a title together. Shaq remained the alpha male with Mourning ironically becoming his backup after miraculously resuming his career following his kidney transplant.
“He saw my hunger and my approach to the game and my professionalism,” Mourning said. “We developed this brotherly type of relationship and respect for one another, stronger respect even more because we complemented one another.”
In so many ways.
Old rivals share Hall of Fame moment
O’Neal learned he would be entering the Hall of Fame in 2016, two years after Mourning was enshrined. O’Neal asked four Hall of Famers to join him on the podium — Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Isiah Thomas and Mourning.
Shaq then honored Mourning during his speech.
“Alonzo Mourning, arch-nemesis turned great friend. We both entered the league together in 1992, had fierce battles together; he’d dunk on me, I’d dunk on him.
“In 2006, we joined forces together to win his first and my fourth title for the Miami Heat. Thank you, Zo. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
Mourning was touched, not only by the moment but just the fact that there he was, sitting on that stage on the most important night of Shaq’s professional career.
That night, before the ceremony, Mourning approached Shaq, who was standing with his mother.
“I said, ‘Thank you for inviting me and being a part of this. I did not think that you thought that much of me,’” Mourning said.
Mourning saw a look on Shaq’s face he had never seen.
“He looked at his mom and said, ‘Can you believe he said that?’ I said, ‘I’m serious. No insult at all, I didn’t think you thought that much of me for me to be on this stage on this night.’
“He grabbed me and hugged me. His mom said, ‘We love you, Zo. What you meant to Shaq’s career, we love you.’ That gave me an understanding of where we stood.”
And now they share more than a title as teammates and a plaque in Springfield. Last season the Heat retired Shaq’s number, raising it to the rafters of AmericanAirlines Arena where Mourning’s already hung.
The first two picks of the draft one quarter of a century earlier forever linked.