LAKERS NOTEBOOK: SHAQ FINED AGAIN.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Shaquille O'Neal is $7,500 poorer today for berating referee Bob Delaney on Friday, but it's not the first time the two have battled, nor is it likely to be the last.

The NBA on Monday fined O'Neal for going after Delaney after his ejection in Seattle. It was only the latest in a series of run-ins between the two.

Teammates say the tense relationship dates back to the mid-1990s, when O'Neal played for the Orlando Magic. O'Neal was coy about his history with Delaney - ``I'm not familiar with that name you just mentioned,'' he said - but he went on to imply a deeper issue.

``If you have a grudge against a person, then you can't effectively do your job,'' O'Neal said, without naming anyone. ``Like if I don't like you, I'm not going to give you the best interview. That's a fact. You have a grudge against somebody, you can't effectively do your job.''

Asked if he was referring to Delaney, O'Neal said, ``I'm just throwing out facts, and you take them how you want. ... When I don't like somebody, I don't give them my all, so therefore I can say that statement and be factual. If you don't like somebody for whatever reason, you cannot do your job effectively - period, point blank.''

O'Neal only rarely jaws at referees these days, yet Delaney has tagged him with technical fouls several times over the last two years.

Delaney gave O'Neal a technical in Game 2 of the conference finals at San Antonio this past May; Delaney ejected coach Phil Jackson in that same game. The year before, in Game 1 of the conference finals against Portland, O'Neal got a technical for jawing at Delaney as he left the court at halftime.

Coincidentally, Delaney was also part of the officiating crew that ejected O'Neal and Charles Barkley for fighting in a game at Houston in November 1999. Delaney is said to have a particularly short fuse, perhaps even more so with O'Neal.

``I was right there. I thought it was pretty petty,'' said Brian Shaw. ``Especially if you're a team captain, you should be allowed to have some dialogue with the referee, especially if he's talking back to you as well.''

--Making good: O'Neal's ``Kobe Bryant for MVP'' campaign is off to a great start. Bryant won the Western Conference player of the month award for November.

``That's good,'' O'Neal said. ``Hopefully, my prediction will come true.''

Bryant averaged 27.6 points, 6.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.13 steals in November as the Lakers went 14-1, their best start in franchise history.

Bryant also posted huge numbers last November, but teammates said this is different. Bryant is playing selflessly, much as he did in the playoffs, and the points are coming in bunches without breaking down the offense.

``Obviously, it's taken less effort for him to do it,'' said Derek Fisher. ``He's not coming out trying to take the game to another level. He's allowing the game to kind of come to him. ... Since the latter part of last year and the beginning of this season, the more that Kobe's passed the ball, the more that he's played within the team, the more good things that have come back to him. He's shooting the ball better, he's playing better defense, we're playing better as a team.''

--Also: After reviewing Friday's game film, the league has rescinded the flagrant foul assessed to Bryant in the fourth quarter. The flagrant call was made by Delaney. The Lakers also challenged the technicals given O'Neal, but the league upheld them.

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Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal isn't a happy man today, having been fined $7,500 by the NBA after his disagreement with referee Bob Delaney.

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