NBA: Built to Dominate

Shaq's Frustration – The Missing Piece

Shaquille O'Neal was deep in thought after watching the Lakers defeat the Supersonics.

He hadn't spoken about it to anyone yet, not even to Grizzlies head coach Brian Winters, who had been watching the game alongside him.

After the Sonics vs. Lakers game, Shaq spent the night analyzing the problem.

What exactly went wrong?

And then it hit him.

He didn't have a defensive presence next to him who could slow down Alex Mo.

Bryant Reeves?

Not the answer.

O'Neal had originally shortlisted four names as potential teammates:

Karl MaloneDennis RodmanHakeem OlajuwonShawn Kemp

But after tonight?

Kemp was immediately crossed off the list.

Not only did he fail to dunk on Alex Mo, he ended up as the background of Mo's latest highlight reel.

If anything, Mo had completely stripped him of the "Brutalist Power Forward" title.

This wasn't a small gap in ability.

This was a massive chasm.

Kemp Tries to Respond… Too Late

Ironically, as soon as Shaq eliminated Kemp from his wishlist, Kemp suddenly hit two consecutive mid-range shots.

To be fair—

Kemp was one of the most well-rounded power forwards in the NBA.

His combination of explosive athleticism and shooting was rare.

But unfortunately, Mo was even more of a cheat code than he was.

Lakers Take Command Before Halftime

As the second quarter came to a close, the Sonics pushed hard to cut the deficit to under five points before halftime.

But Alex Mo had other plans.

Back-to-back deep three-pointers from Mo shut down Seattle's comeback attempt.

At halftime, the Lakers led 55-46.

"Unbelievable! The Lakers are up nearly double digits against last season's Western Conference champions!"

One of the commentators stared at the stat sheet in disbelief.

"Does this mean they're strong enough to challenge… another Finals team from last year?"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Because finishing that thought would be insane.

That "other Finals team"?

Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

Yes, the Lakers were outplaying the Sonics, but…

Could they seriously compete with the greatest team of all time?

"That's impossible."

Right?

Payton Explodes in the Locker Room

Meanwhile, in the Sonics' locker room, Gary Payton was furious.

"SHIT!"

He threw his towel across the room.

"I'm out here locking up their guy, and none of y'all can handle a rookie?!"

Payton had completely shut down Iverson in the second quarter.

His elite defensive tactics, toeing the line of what's legal and what's a foul, had thrown AI off his game.

Iverson had no answer besides his signature quick first step.

And yet—

Seattle was still losing.

By double digits.

Payton was beyond pissed.

"I took care of my assignment! Why the hell hasn't the score gotten any closer?!"

The entire Sonics roster sat in silence.

Because, deep down, they knew the answer.

Alex Mo.

He was simply on another level.

Lakers Seal the Win – November Ends Undefeated

After halftime, the Sonics came out swinging, immediately cutting the lead to five points.

But at crucial moments, Alex Mo always delivered.

A 7-point scoring burst and dominant defense secured the Lakers' lead until the final buzzer.

Final Score:🏆 Lakers 102 – Sonics 94

The Lakers' winning streak extended to 15 games.

And just like that—

They had completed the month of November without a single loss.

This was the first time in franchise history that the Lakers had gone undefeated in November.

It was also only the second time in Lakers history that they had gone an entire month without a loss.

The last time?

When Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain led the Lakers' legendary 33-game winning streak.

Alex Mo's Historic Night

Tonight, Mo made history.

47 points25 rebounds11 blocks

A triple-double with blocks.

He became only the 10th player in NBA history to record a triple-double with blocks.

But even more shocking?

He was the first rookie in NBA history to do it.

And even more shocking than that?

No one had ever scored this many points in a block-triple-double before.

The previous record for the most points in a block-triple-double belonged to David Robinson, who had 43 points in 1991.

That record?

Now belonged to Alex Mo.

Postgame: Iverson vs. Payton – Final Words

Even after the game, Iverson still had some trash talk left.

He walked up to Payton and smirked.

"Your time is over, old man."

Payton instantly snapped back.

"You're dreaming, kid! See you in Seattle!"

Despite the trash talk, the two dapped each other up.

On the court, they were rivals.

But off the court?

Payton respected Iverson's fearless attitude.

"But let me correct you on two things," Payton added.

"One—I'm NOT old."

He wasn't wrong.

Payton was drafted in 1990.

This was only his seventh season.

"Two—our era hasn't even started yet."

Because in the NBA, there was only one true era.

Michael Jordan's.

"Young blood, you want to name a new era? You gotta take down the big boss in Chicago first."

And with that, he patted Iverson on the shoulder and walked away.

Iverson's Response? Simple.

"That's what we're here for."

Gary Payton's words sounded hopeless—as if the Bulls were untouchable.

But Iverson refused to accept that.

"If we can't beat Jordan, then everything we do in the '90s is meaningless."

Iverson was actually thankful that Jordan hadn't retired yet.

This was an era to prove yourself.

An era where gods were made… or shattered.

And in his mind—

Mo felt the exact same way.

November Ends – The Monthly Awards Drop

December 1st – 4 AM, US Time

Many NBA players were just finishing up late-night workouts.

One of them?

Kobe Bryant.

And the moment he checked his phone…

The official NBA Monthly Awards had just been announced.

The first major recognition of the season.

Who won Rookie of the Month?

Who won Player of the Month?

The entire league was about to find out.