NBA: Built to Dominate

Tension on the Grizzlies' Bench!

"There seems to be some serious tension on the Vancouver Grizzlies' bench!"

"We can clearly see Bryant Reeves arguing with Shaquille O'Neal!"

"The whole team has gathered, and it looks like a heated confrontation!"

The cameras panned to the Grizzlies' bench, where Shaq and Reeves were locked in a verbal battle.

At General Motors Arena in Vancouver, sideline commentators had just finished analyzing Alex Mo's first-quarter dominance when the Grizzlies' bench stole the show.

The cause of the argument?

Even without hearing the words, it was obvious—they were fighting because of Alex Mo.

And when Shaq threw his towel in frustration, the media instantly knew they had a headline.

Win or lose, this moment would be the biggest talking point after the game.

What were Shaq and Reeves arguing about?Why was Shaq so furious that he threw his towel?

Reporters had a lot of questions.

But for now, the game had to continue.

Meanwhile, on the Lakers' Bench…

As the second quarter began, both teams rotated their lineups, giving their starters a brief rest.

On the Lakers' bench, veteran shooter Dell Curry leaned over to Alex Mo.

"Mo, my two sons are big fans of yours," Curry said.

"They're both gonna be asking for your autograph soon."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Both of them?"

Curry nodded.

"Yep. Stephen and Seth."

Stephen Curry.

Alex Mo immediately recognized the name.

The same Steph Curry who would one day become a generational talent.

At this point, young Steph was still a kid, growing up in Charlotte, where his father played most of his career.

Since Dell Curry had been traded to the Lakers, he hadn't officially moved his family to L.A. yet.

"I figured after a while, we'd move to Los Angeles," Curry continued.

"But I already know what's gonna happen—Steph is gonna bug me nonstop to take him to your games at Staples."

His tone was a mix of pride and frustration.

"Kid's got a great shooting touch—could probably inherit my jumper one day."

"But right now?"

Dell Curry sighed.

"He's obsessed with dunking like you."

Alex chuckled.

Apparently, Steph Curry had been watching him play and decided he wanted to dunk on people instead of shoot threes.

If watching from the TV had already influenced him, what would happen when Steph saw Alex play in person?

Back to Business—Shaq vs. Alex Mo, Round Two!

The second quarter resumed, and both coaches brought their starters back in.

"Finally! Alex Mo and Shaquille O'Neal are both back on the floor!"

"We can stop stalling and get back to the real battle!"

The Lakers had possession.

Derek Fisher brought the ball up the court and immediately looked for Alex Mo.

But this time, something was different.

Shaquille O'Neal was guarding him.

"Oh? Did I just see that right?"

"The Grizzlies switched their defensive strategy! Shaq is now guarding Alex Mo!"

But something was off.

Even though Shaq had switched onto Mo, he refused to step out beyond the free-throw line.

The reason?

Shaq wasn't comfortable defending on the perimeter.

He was a dominant paint protector, but pulling him away from the basket?

That was a death sentence.

So now, the court had an awkward standoff.

Shaq stood near the free-throw line, seemingly daring Alex Mo to drive inside.

At the same time, Alex Mo held the ball beyond the arc and smirked.

Come out here, big guy.

If you won't, I'll just shoot.

Mo rose up from deep—

SPLASH!

Nothing but net.

The crowd went silent for a second, then erupted.

"What the hell was that?!"

"O'Neal didn't even try to contest it!"

"What kind of defense was that?!"

The Grizzlies' fans were stunned.

They thought Shaq switching onto Alex Mo would make a difference.

But instead?

It just gave Alex free points.

And he wasn't done.

Shaq vs. Alex Mo—The Trash Talk Begins!

Shaq marched up to Alex, clearly pissed off.

"You scared, rookie? You don't have the guts to challenge me inside?"

Alex smirked.

"Why should I? Three points are worth more than two."

Shaq's eyes twitched.

Then Alex added the final insult.

"So if you really wanna stop me, come out here, fat boy."

Fat boy?!

Shaq snapped.

There were two things he hated in life:

Being called fat.People reminding him he was fat.

Alex Mo had just done both.

Shaq wanted blood.

Shaq's Response—But Alex Was Too Fast!

On the next Grizzlies possession, Shaq went straight to the low post, backing down Elden Campbell.

With a quick spin, he went for his signature hook shot—

CLANK!

The ball bounced off the rim.

Alex Mo swooped in for the rebound.

Before Shaq could even react—

Alex Mo was already sprinting down the court!

"Here he goes again! Alex Mo—coast to coast!"

Shaq turned to run back on defense—

But it was already too late.

Alex Mo slammed it home for another fast-break dunk!

The Lakers' Strategy Was Simple—Run Shaq Into the Ground!

The next possession, the Grizzlies missed again.

Alex Mo grabbed the rebound and took off like a bullet.

The result?

Another fast-break dunk.

Shaq was getting burned in transition.

For the rest of the quarter, the Lakers fully committed to this new game plan.

They weren't letting Shaq catch his breath.

They weren't letting him set up in the paint.

Instead?

They forced him to run—over and over again.

It was brutal.

By the time the quarter ended, Shaq was gassed.

Alex Mo Drops His First Career 50-Piece!

By the end of the game, Alex Mo had put on an absolute clinic:

50 points12 rebounds5 assists3 blocks

The Lakers crushed the Grizzlies by 18 points.

Shaq put up great numbers himself—36 points, 17 rebounds.

But in the end?

Alex Mo completely outplayed him.

Shaq Throws His Team Under the Bus

At the post-game press conference, Shaq refused to take the blame.

Instead, he pointed the finger at Bryant Reeves.

"We lost because of him."

"He couldn't guard Alex Mo. That's why we lost."

Classic Shaq.

If the team lost, it was never his fault.

The Takeaway?

Alex Mo had just dominated one of the best big men in NBA history.

And the scary part?

He was just getting started.