OAKLAND, Calif. — On a day like Sunday, one that was supposed to be all about fun, Shaquille O'Neal did not exactly feel the weight of the world on his shoulders.
What he feel, however, was some pain in one of his shoulders — which is why the Los Angeles Lakers center skipped the final quarter of Sunday's NBA All-Star Game at The Arena in Oakland.
"Shaq strained his shoulder a little bit," said Phil Jackson, O'Neal coach on both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Western Conference All-Star team.
"He felt like it stiffened up . . . so he didn't want to play the fourth quarter."
O'Neal downplayed the injury, saying, "I'm not concerned . . . I'll be OK."
What he was willing to play up, though, was the fact he shared game MVP honors with fellow big man Tim Duncan.
"It was an honor to be voted co-MVP," he said.
"This is nice and exciting. I'll be a part of history," added O'Neal, who said he should get to take the MVP trophy home because Duncan, a member of the 1999 NBA-champion San Antonio Spurs, already owns the prize he really wants — a ring. "But the big-picture award is the award I'm really looking for."
BUTTON UP: Jackson is a big supporter of former NBA All-Star and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley, who found time to catch the Sunday's game between campaign stops in California.
The Lakers coach even strolled to the West bench with a Bradley button pinned firmly on his lapel. He kept it on long enough to be noticed by NBC television cameras but eventually removed it.
"The Gore people ran in from somewhere and told me to take it off," Jackson joked.
But seriously . . . "In fairness to the game," said Jackson, who made a campaign appearance on Bradley's behalf Saturday night, "I discreetly took it off."
WELL, WORTH IT: It should come as no great shock that Jazz guard John Stockton, never to be confused with one who enjoys all the hullabaloo that surrounds All-Star Games like Sunday's, was one of the first players to shower, dress and leave the Western Conference All-Star team locker room.
"I had fun," insisted Stockton, who has now played in 10 All-Star Games.
"I enjoyed playing, I enjoyed being here. And my family enjoyed it. So it was a good weekend."
ONLY FAIR: Michael Finley of the Dallas Mavericks thought it was only right that O'Neal and Duncan shared MVP honors.
"Tim and Shaq are the yin and yang for the game today," he said.
"Shaq is more rambunctious, doing things that the crowd is going to remember. Tim is more subdued. He'll score a quiet 25 and win the game for you."
OH WELL: The MVP award has been split only two other times — when Stockton and Jazz teammate Karl Malone won it in 1993, and when Elgin Baylor shared it with Bob Pettit in 1959.
"I saw (Malone and Stockton) get it in Salt Lake, and getting it here would have been awesome," said Phoenix's Jason Kidd, who was hoping to share this year's award with fellow Oakland native Gary Payton of Seattle. "But it doesn't put a damper on the weekend."
OK COACH: Golden State Warriors Vice President and ex-head coach Al Attles doesn't want to take much credit for coaching the rookies to victory in Saturday's Shick Rookie Challenge game.
"If Al Attles can teach them in 30 minutes what they haven't understood since they've got here, I might be the best coach in the history of the world," he said.
"And I know I'm not that."
NOTHING NEW: Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heats checks in with his predictions for the postseason: "When it comes down to it, it's been the same teams," he said. "It's been us, Indiana and the Knicks. And, depending what happens health-wise during the season, I think those are the three teams it's going to boil down to in the East."
THANK YOU, THANK YOU: Philadelphia 76ers guard guard and noted bad-boy Allen Iverson took time this weekend to thank everyone — and their brother.
"It's a tribute to my teammates, and my coaching staff, and the fans in Philadelphia, everybody who's helped me get here: All the players that I ever played with . . . any coach that's ever cursed me out . . . my family and friends," Iverson said of his first All-Star Game appearance. "That's what makes it feel so good — just knowing that I've done something positive with my life."
LATRELL JUNIOR: New York Knicks/East coach Jeff Van Gundy's was quite candid when asked about the competitiveness of coaching in All-Star Games.
His response: "I know I had a hard time, even as an assistant, back in '93, when Coach (Pat) Riley was head coach, seeing (Michael) Jordan and (Scottie) Pippen in there, and they had beaten me so many times — you just wanted to go for their throats."
Bad idea, Coach. Especially in Oakland.
MISC.: David Robinson of the Spurs re-injured his sore shoulder in the first half, which is why he played only seven minutes Sunday . . . Detroit's Grant Hill played much of the game with only one contract lens. The right one fell out, and no one had a spare . . . Playing on the winning Western team was worth $15,000 per player. Losers from the East get $7,500 . . . The East now leads the series 31-18 . . . Next year's NBA All-Star Game will be played in Washington, D.C.