When he came into the league in 1992, Alonzo Mourning was a highly-touted prospect because of his talents. However, mixed with that, the second-overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets also proved that he would not be punked around.
His partnership with Larry Johnson in the 1992-93 season helped turn the Hornets' fortunes around. The pair guided Charlotte to the first round of the postseason, the franchise's first. However, getting there was not easy.
Being a young squad, the Hornets had to deal with veteran teams who would exploit their inexperience. One of them was the Detroit Pistons, who were notorious for their bullish ways. Regardless, Zo could care less, showing he was unafraid to mix it up with guys like Bill Laimbeer.
Not in my house
Playing as a rookie, Mourning never backed down from anyone on the court. Tied to that, he would not let cheap shots go. Zo sent a message that he is someone no player would want to mess with.
Laimbeer purposely bumped shoulders with Alonzo, and the 6-foot-10 center did not appreciate that hit. The Georgetown product retaliated by throwing a punch, and chaos ensued. Bill and Zo were ejected from that game and fined $6,500 and $5,000, respectively, according to the Washington Post .
Alonzo considered the Lambs' antics disrespectful, especially considering that the game was being played on the Hornets' homecourt. Mourning would not tolerate such rude behavior.
"I look at it as somebody coming into my house trying to take something from me," Mourning stated via UPI . "And I don't like anybody coming in my house being rude."
Despite his banishment, the Hornets defeated the Pistons 107-95. Mourning exited the contest after dropping 28 points and 18 rebounds. That performance overshadowed Dennis Rodman's game-high 27 rebounds, the most for the season at that point.
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Don't mess with Zo
The Hornets benefitted from the Mourning-Johnson tandem, although it didn't last long. Friction developed between the two stars, and Charlotte ended up shipping them to new teams.
Alonzo was the first one to go in 1995. He was traded to the Miami Heat in a multi-player deal. LJ would be shipped to the Knicks the following season. With new teams, their career trajectories would change. Zo's legacy would blossom while Larry would struggle to recall his All-Star form.
With the former teammates now playing on different teams, it was interesting to see how both would fare when their paths crossed. One unforgettable instance was that brawl between Mourning and Johnson during the 1998 playoffs.
Mourning and Johnson got entangled, and both ended up brawling on the floor as both benches emptied. An unforgettable scene at the time was when former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy was trying to break up the fight between the two behemoths. JVG ended up trying to restrain Zo by holding his leg , and today, he admits that it was a crazy move on his end.
Regardless, Mourning proved he was one of the toughest players the NBA ever had. Zo was unafraid to mix it up inside and shy away from skirmishes against opponents who would try to mess with him.
Related: "He felt like a piece of gum on my shoe" - Alonzo Mourning on Jeff Van Gundy holding onto his leg in the 1998 Knicks vs. Heat fight
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