After the 1997-1998 season schedule was released, I saw the first game was against the Utah Jazz, so I circled it on the calendar.
I had some unresolved issues with Ostertag. I didn’t like how he ran his mouth after beating us in last season’s playoffs, and I planned to settle that score with him.
During shooting practice, I found him, walked over, and confronted him. I told him, "You should shut your mouth, focus on playing, and stop yapping."
He said to me, "Fuck you, watch your mouth!"
I said, "You know how to watch your mouth, but what about your own mouth?"
We got into an argument, and he started cursing again.
So I wasn’t polite and slapped him across the face!
The slap wasn’t really that hard, but he went straight to the ground.
Like I had some kind of Chinese Kung Fu, with a slap that weighed a thousand pounds.
The guy was curled up on the ground moaning, "My contact lenses, my contact lenses!"
Damn, I really felt embarrassed for him. Did I slap you right on the eyeball?
I didn’t play that night; I had an abdominal injury and was still recovering.
But I knew that slap brought me some trouble.
The League suspended me for one game and fined me ten thousand US Dollars.
But the League’s fine was nothing compared to Jerry West’s anger.
Jerry West blew up at me after the game, saying things like, "I will never tolerate such childish behavior! Never!"
"Did you hear what I said? You’ve shamed yourself, your team, your parents, and the League! How do you expect others to see you?"
"Are you a foolish bully or a serious basketball player? You better think it through!"
"You better apologize to Ostertag and the Utah Jazz team, and also to the Los Angeles Lakers. If you do something like this again, I’ll trade you away!"
Wow, my gosh, when West gets angry, it’s really scary.
Just like in the 1996 All-Star game when he refused to attend because he was quarreling with the League, determined to the core.
Honestly, the old me would have backed down, yielded, like, okay, I’ll listen to you, you’re the boss.
Hold a press conference, say some lukewarm apologies, promise not to do it again.
But this time I didn’t back down, of course, I didn’t confront him either, because I knew West had a point.
I just asked him one question: "Where were you when Ah Gan hit me? When he took down so many people in Portland, where were you?"
Honestly, if there had been smartphones back then, I should’ve filmed old Jerry’s expression.
His range of expressions was rich enough to be a textbook example at a film academy.
He stammered, saying, "Ah Gan...that doesn’t count, you hit him first...wrestling doesn’t count as hitting, he...it was all self-defense, different situation..."
Later he said some nonsense about a center being a center, and Ah Gan being Ah Gan, but in the end, he had no way to deal with me.
Haha, I found a way to come out on top, all in all, Jerry found it hard to criticize me anymore, though I did correct myself not to be a bully.
I still apologized to Ostertag and the Jazz team and told my teammates that I wouldn’t do anything outrageous in the future but would focus on basketball.
Everyone laughed and said they hoped I would fight Ah Gan again, and I said no problem! I’m ready to throw down!
Of course, I won’t do that because I’m not a bully after all.]
——Published in 2011, excerpt from Shaquille O’Neal’s autobiography "Shaq Uncut: My Story".
The Los Angeles Lakers experienced a breakthrough in their performance during the 1997-1998 season.
Bobby Berman ended his four-year not-so-successful coaching stint in Hollywood and went to their longtime rival, the Celtics, to start anew.
Jerry West chose Del Harris as Berman’s successor to lead the Purple and Gold Legion.
Harris had a rich resume, similar to Bobby Berman, starting as a high school coach and leading his teams to state championships.
He then switched to college basketball, coaching for many years at Earlham College in Indiana, achieving outstanding results.
However, Earlham College was a small school, not eligible for the NCAA, the biggest event they participated in was the NAIA All-America Basketball Championship.
So, without a strong enough brand, Del Harris worked two jobs.
During the college season, he’d coach the college team, and during summer vacation, he’d coach lower leagues in Puerto Rico.
In 1975, he went to Europe, coaching the superstar team in Spain, Iberia, before moving on to the ABA as an assistant coach.
In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, and Harris was hired as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, thus officially beginning his NBA coaching career.
In 1981, as the head coach for the Rockets, he led the team on an unexpected run to the finals, losing to the Boston Celtics. This was Del Harris’s breakthrough season.
Afterward, Harris assisted Don Nelson with the Bucks, and with Nelson’s move to the Lakers, Harris followed him to Los Angeles.
During Bobby Berman’s four-year coaching stint, Del Harris remained the team’s first assistant coach, Jerry West’s first backup plan.
With Berman’s resignation, Harris became the Lakers’ head coach, tasked by Jerry West to mold this talented team.
Harris did a good job; so far this season, they are the Western Conference’s second strongest team, trailing only the Trail Blazers.