Kobe v. Shaq IV

Forgive us if we don’t have the same enthusiasm for the fourth installment of Kobe v. Shaq. After all they just finished playing a few weeks ago. The hype machine hasn’t really had a chance to sink its teeth into this match-up. Besides, they have much more important things to worry about than each other. The Lakers (20-17) are struggling to stay at .500 and make the playoffs, the good but not great Heat (23-15) are still trying to figure out how to catch the dominant Pistons.

Although they do have other important things on their mind, the one thing on the mind of LAist is just how long this “feud” is going to last. We are quite used to seeing Shaq in his new home in South Beach now, and we are slowly getting used to the fact that a Laker playoff appearance is no longer a foregone conclusion but rather a goal. But it still bugs us to see the distance between these two who although didn’t quite get along off the court were entertaining and fun on it.

So when we watch tonight, although the outcome is important to a degree, a lot more attention will be paid to the pre-game handshake. Will there be one? Will Shaq give the cold shoulder again? Will they at least make eye contact? We shall see...