NBA: Built to Dominate

As Del Harris had predicted, the Lakers' postgame press conference was packed with reporters.

If there was one team that had dominated the NBA headlines all summer, it was the Los Angeles Lakers.

Their bold offseason moves had been ridiculed by analysts.

And yet—they had just won their season opener in dominant fashion.

Now, the press was itching for answers.

The moment Harris, Iverson, and Alex Mo entered the room—

The questions came flooding in.

Iverson Responds to the Doubters

The first question went to Iverson.

"Allen, congratulations on your first NBA win," an ESPN reporter began.

"But some believe the Lakers only won because the Suns were too weak.

"What's your response to that?"

It was a setup.

The media knew Iverson's personality.

They expected him to explode—to fire back with something headline-worthy.

Alex Mo grinned as he glanced at Iverson.

"Go on, give 'em a show."

Iverson felt the irritation rising.

He had just dropped a double-double in his NBA debut, and they were already downplaying his performance?!

But then, he remembered how Mo handled the press during training camp.

So instead of snapping back—

He flipped the script.

"The Suns were a playoff team last season," Iverson said coolly.

"Their strength is well known."

"But we won today because we were too strong."

The room fell silent.

No ranting.

No anger.

Just pure confidence.

For the first time, the media felt uncomfortable.

Not because Iverson lashed out at them—

But because he didn't.

Mo almost laughed out loud.

Iverson had just played them perfectly.

 Mo: "NBA vs. NCAA? No Difference."

The next question was for Alex Mo.

"Alex, this was your first NBA game.

"How did it compare to playing in the NCAA?"

Mo grabbed the mic.

"To be honest, Coach Harris warned me before the game," he said.

"He told me—this is the NBA."

"He said—the competition here is tougher than in college."

Mo paused, then smirked.

"But after playing this game…"

"I don't see any difference."

Silence.

"I still dropped a 35-point double-double."

"My teammate is still Allen Iverson."

"We still won by nearly 20 points."

So what's the difference?

No difference.

The reporters looked at each other.

Logically speaking…

That made sense.

But at the same time—

That was the most arrogant response possible.

Even Iverson grinned.

"This guy is too good at this."

The reporters realized—

They had been baited.

Mo had just flexed on them, and they couldn't argue back.

Del Harris Raises the Stakes

A new question went to Coach Del Harris.

"Coach, after this dominant win, will your team's season goals change?"

"Before the season, analysts ranked the Lakers 18th in power rankings."

"They predicted 10th place in the West at best."

"And most believed the Lakers would be happy just making the playoffs."

Del Harris leaned forward.

"Who said our goal was just the playoffs?"

"The playoffs are the minimum."

"Our goal is the Finals."

The room went dead silent.

Even Iverson and Mo exchanged glances.

"Damn, even Coach is flexing now?"

But hey—

If Coach Harris wants to talk big—

They were all for it.

Public Execution: Sam Cassell

Toward the end of the conference, a reporter brought up Sam Cassell.

"Alex, before the game, Cassell said he would drop 10, maybe even 15 points on you."

"What do you think about his performance tonight?"

Mo smiled.

"I think he played really well."

"He almost hit double digits."

A reporter interrupted.

"Actually, he only scored nine points."

"Oh? Nine?"

Mo nodded.

"Thanks for the correction."

"Well, next time, I hope he reaches double figures."

"I'm very optimistic about him."

The entire room erupted in laughter.

Somewhere, watching this on TV—

Cassell nearly threw his remote at the screen.

His already shattered confidence?

Destroyed.

Shaq's Rough Night

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, another man was seething.

Shaquille O'Neal.

His first game with the Grizzlies didn't go as planned.

He had been determined to dominate.

Then he met two problems:

Rasheed Wallace (6'11", 235 lbs)Arvydas Sabonis (7'3", 280 lbs)

Portland came prepared.

Shaq struggled all night, managing only 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Then, after the game, he turned on the TV—

And saw Alex Mo put up 35 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 blocks in his debut.

"You've got to be kidding me."

O'Neal turned off the TV.

His heart couldn't take it.

Tim Duncan Watches from Wake Forest

Over at Wake Forest University, Tim Duncan was watching closely.

Sitting in the locker room, he rewatched the Lakers vs. Suns game with his coach, Dave Odom.

"This game was a one-sided massacre," Odom said.

"But Tim, you need to realize something—Mo just dropped 35 and 20 in his NBA debut."

"You didn't get a full sense of his level during last year's Final Four."

"But now?"

"This stat line tells the truth."

Only One Other Rookie Had Ever Done It

35 points and 20 rebounds in an NBA debut?

That had only been done once before.

By Wilt Chamberlain.

Wilt's first game?

43 points, 28 rebounds.

That record had stood for 37 years.

Until now.

Alex Mo had become only the second player in NBA history to hit a 35+20 double-double in his debut.

Tim Duncan took a deep breath.

He didn't feel jealous.

He felt motivated.

If Mo was this dominant now—

Duncan needed to be even stronger before he entered the NBA.

Because this rivalry wasn't over.

Wilt Chamberlain Wants to See Alex Mo in Action

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Wilt Chamberlain was watching a sports show when he heard about Mo's stat line.

"Wait—the Lakers got a new big man?"

"And he's catching up to my 37-year-old record?"

Wilt grinned.

"I gotta see this kid in person."

"When's the next Lakers home game?"

"I'm going to be there."