Thu, Apr 28, 2005 page20

• Miami Heat's stars don't burn each other

  • NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  Shaquille O'Neal could watch with detachment, rather than irritation, when Alonzo Mourning celebrated his brute move for a second-quarter layup by curling his impressive biceps and yelling at his ample muscle.

  What does one say to his biceps? More important, is the biceps listening to the self-consumed Zo?

  Mourning moaned his way out of New Jersey this season, manipulated an exit from Toronto and put himself in Miami, all as rude thanks for his US$20 million contract, all because the Nets suddenly fell beneath his high standards.

  

  Shaquille O'Neal, right, and teammate Dwyane Wade of the Heat celebrate during their game against the Nets in the fourth period in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida on Tuesday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  "I didn't see a reward at all," Mourning said Sunday after the Heat took Game 1 of a best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series against the Nets 116-98 at American Airlines Arena. "I wanted to be in a situation where with the work that I put in all my life, I would possibly see a reward at the end of it all."

  So who, of all foils, did he turn to? Shaq. This is the man Zo needs for the title payoff. And Shaq knows it, of course. It must be a bit delicious for Shaq to be craved by someone who once reviled him.

  So although Shaq once resented his former rival's obsessive flexing and preening and growling, he can tolerate the more vulnerable Mourning because O'Neal's status as The Man is not threatened.

  His status as The Ham is secure, too, even though Damon Jones can easily stand next to Shaq in comedic value. In truth, Jones is Shaq's favorite punch-line pal. He gets a kick out of Jones, a player who treats every moment in front of microphones like karaoke night.

  After he hit 7 of 9 3-pointers on his way to 30 points, Jones showed up in the pressroom wearing P. Diddy-like sunglasses and Liz Taylor's diamonds, and then said with a smile: "I feel like a movie star right now. A humble movie star."

  A co-star, in reality. After all, Shaq is the only leading man in Miami. Or is he?

  There is one Heat player who could -- if he chose -- truly upstage O'Neal's stardom. And it isn't Zo or a Jones named Damon or Eddie.

  The argument could be made that Dwyane Wade has emerged as an equal in Miami's incarnation as a championship contender. But the question of who is better -- Shaq or Dwyane? -- isn't relevant in Miami because the answer doesn't matter to Wade.

  This is why he is perfect for Shaq: Wade is the un-Kobe. His skills may not be as refined or polished as Kobe's, but Wade can slither and contort, spin and float around the basket for miracle shots, too. His 32 points said so Sunday.

  His talent may not be as photogenic as Kobe's, but Wade leaves defenders weak-kneed from guarding his deception. Will Wade score on a runner or dunk, a jumper or reverse layup? Or will he pass behind his back? No one ever knows. His eight assists revealed that.

  "When it's playoff times, it is not the Dwyane show or the Shaq show," Wade said. "It is the Miami Heat time. It's all about the team. There are going to be some nights where I am going to have more assists than points. I'm fine with that as long as we win."

  Shaq is the one who nicknamed Wade Flash, and yet showmanship is not in his bloodstream.

  "The kid is so humble," Eddie Jones said. "I've been around a lot of guys coming into this league, but he is the most humble I've seen. I think it has everything to do with the fact that he is married and has a child. That settles you down."

  Somehow, this very same scenario -- wife and child -- did not give Bryant the kind of humble perspective to appreciate Shaq during their turbulent time together as Los Angeles Lakers.

  Bryant wanted to upstage Shaq and wound up undermining the Lakers. He wanted to call all the shots and wound up shooting his own legacy. Bryant wanted to be the team, not a teammate.

  Wade doesn't want what Kobe wanted. He longs to win, even if he is known as Shaq's little brother, even if Shaq gets credit for making him better, even if Shaq calls the team his own.

  "I woke up," said Shaq, who played with a thigh bruise and still scored 17 points in 32 minutes. "I was able to walk; I was able to run. I said to myself, `I can't leave my guys hanging."'

  His guys or Wade's guys? Unlike Los Angeles, the questions about whose team it is will probably never matter because the answer isn't relevant to the only player who could possibly usurp the star power of Shaq.

  Zo can growl and make small talk to his biceps. Damon Jones can crack jokes and fall in love with the camera. But Shaq will never feel threatened by such a supporting cast.

  Wade is the one who could be a superstar on any team, the one who could fly solo if he chose, but he doesn't want to go it alone at the risk of losing. He is not like Kobe at all. In this way, he is perfect for Shaq.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Minister warns Taiwanese about Chinese passports

  • 2

    APEC Shenzen visit was smooth, safe: ministry official

  • 3

    Manchester United tap Carrick as interim coach

  • 4

    Taiwan passport rises three spots in global ranking

  • 5

    Taiwan eases work, residency restrictions for foreign professionals