That Time Miami Heat Legend Alonzo Mourning Lost The Battle To Grant Hill
Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning was one of the most intimidating defenders during his career.
He rarely lost, in the words of former Heat center Hassan Whiteside, when an opposing player met him at the rim. Mourning was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in blocks twice during his Hall of Fame career.
But on March 16, 1998, Mourning lost. And it was bad.
The Heat were playing the Detroit Pistons, who were led by high-flying forward Grant Hill. At the time, Hill was considered among the players waiting to take over Michael Jordan's throne atop the NBA. Injuries prevented that from ever happening but Hill did get the best of Mourning before ankle problems slowed him in the early 2000s.
Here's the backstory:
Mourning hit Hill with a hard screen while the Pistons were on defense. It led to Hill, who obviously didn't like it, wrestling Mourning to the ground.
Hill refused to let that be the end of it. On the next possession, Hill drove the lane and finished with a strong dunk in Mourning's face. It wasn't the first time Mourning was dunked on (See Bill Wennington). It wasn't the last time, either (See Vince Carter).
But the fact it came right after a scuffle made it much more intense.
Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.
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