$7,500 Lighter, Shaq Reacts

By Tim Brown

Dec. 4, 2001 12 AM PT

Shaquille O’Neal received official notification of his $7,500 fine Monday, three days after he was ejected and, rather than leaving the court quickly, charged after referee Bob Delaney.

“Who?” O’Neal said.

Bob Delaney.

“I’m not familiar with that name you mentioned to me,” he said.

It appears that O’Neal has had previous problems with Delaney, not surprising because O’Neal often believes he has been fouled, and referees often believe he has not. No one takes more of a nightly beating than O’Neal, and he appeared to have been fouled in the first quarter in Seattle on Friday night, when Delaney followed O’Neal’s protestations with two technical fouls.

“If you have a grudge against a person, then you can’t effectively do your job,” O’Neal said. “That is a proven fact. Nothing personal. I’m just throwing out facts, and you do what you want with it.”

O’Neal, probably hoping to avoid another fine, would not say how long he has believed Delaney has had it out for him. Brian Shaw, O’Neal’s teammate in Orlando and here, said he was aware of it.

“I was right there,” Shaw said. “I thought it was petty.”

Delaney has refused comment.

Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak had asked league disciplinarian Stu Jackson to review--and perhaps overturn--O’Neal’s technical fouls and ejection, though there was not much he could do about O’Neal not leaving the court quicker.

While he had him on the phone, Kupchak also asked Jackson to review the flagrant foul called against Kobe Bryant later in the same game.

Jackson rescinded the flagrant foul, which could be important later. Flagrant fouls come in two sizes--ones and twos. Bryant’s was a one. When six points are amassed, the player is suspended for a game.

A month in, Bryant is third in the league in scoring, ninth in field-goal percentage, third in steals, 15th in assists and, as a result, falling off the leaders in minutes played.

In helping the Lakers get to 15-1, Bryant is dealing with a lot of free time in fourth quarters, his play driving the recent blowouts.

Last month (including an Oct. 30 win against Portland), the Lakers were 14-1 and Bryant was a major reason why. He scored at least 30 points five times, and had at least seven assists nine times.

“I think he just carried it over from the playoffs,” Robert Horry said.

Since he returned April 10 from a sore left foot, Bryant has been a stronger all-around player.

“I think he’s better received, more a part of the group,” O’Neal said. “He’s not doing too much and not doing too little. He’s just doing a fabulous job.”

Coach Phil Jackson said he talked to Bryant this summer about carrying his well-rounded playoff play into a full season, and Bryant has not wavered.

“I just try to do what the team needs to do to win,” Bryant said. “That’s all.”