"I told him he's a 17-million-dollar punk" - Dennis Rodman's reaction to Alonzo Mourning's attempt of intimidating the Bulls
Dennis Rodman was a master at annoying his opponents, and one of his favorite customers was Alonzo Mourning. However, Mourning loved to play physically and hardly cared who got in his way.
The animosity between the two dates back to the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. The Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat in that series, with one of the highlights of their matchup happening in Game 4, when Zo brought down Rodman with a headlock and into the stands.
Alonzo was able to sneak in a punch during that sequence, but Rodman did not retaliate. Even though Miami came out on top that night—their only win in the series—Rodman and the Bulls had the last laugh.
The mind games continued, with the Game 4 loss firing up Chicago heading into the next contest. As a result, the Bulls beat Miami 100-87 en route to winning the 1997 NBA championship.
"A 17 million-dollar punk"
Another incident between Zo and the Bulls happened in a regular-season game in March 1998. The Heat big man elbowed Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and his jawing with Rodman continued. However, the Bulls, unbothered by Mourning's on-court antics, came out on top, 106-91.
"It doesn't matter what Zo does," Rodman said at the time via the New York Times. "Miami just doesn't have the quality people to knock us off. I told him he's a 17-million-dollar punk. He can't intimidate us."
Unfortunately, a postseason rematch between the two groups never happened. The Bulls continued to roll, winning their third straight championship, the sixth in eight years. Miami, on the other hand, failed to get past the first round, as Zo's antics cost the team once again.
The Heat and the New York Knicks got into a brawl in Game 4 of their 1998 playoff matchup, with Mourning and ex-Charlotte Hornets teammate Larry Johnson being the main protagonists. Zo got suspended and missed a series-decisive Game 5, which Miami ultimately lost, 98-81.
The second run in Miami
Mourning spent 11 seasons with the Heat and rose to prominence. He was constantly in the race for major individual awards and romped off with two Defensive Player of the Year awards (1999 and 2000).
A kidney illness would place his career on hold, although Zo managed to return to action in 2003 with the New Jersey Nets. However, he hardly ever played during that stint and ultimately returned to South Beach for the rest of his career.
Zo was no longer the star center he once was—he was coming off the bench during his second stint in Miami—but was able to finish his career by winning a championship in 2006.
