A Belated Tribute to L.A. Fans

After 15 professional seasons, former Denver Nugget center Dan Issel played his final game last May at the Forum. The Lakers won, eliminating the Nuggets from the playoffs, but Issel’s most vivid memory from the game is the standing ovation he received after making the final shot of his career, a three-pointer, in the fourth quarter.

In his recently-published book, “Parting Shots,” Issel writes: “I’d never given a great deal of thought to the Los Angeles basketball fans, but they are generally considered fickle and not very astute. They are definitely not blue-collar, and they don’t have great reputations as sports experts.

“Maybe they’ve been given a bum rap. Because what I experienced that night left me with a totally different feeling about them: They gave me the warmest standing ovation I’ve ever gotten on the road in my career and one of the loudest anywhere.

“I guess the only one louder was the one the night they retired my jersey in Denver. Some people that night were undoubtedly applauding the fact they were finally going to get rid of me.”

Add Issel: About former Nugget Coach Larry Brown, now the coach at the University of Kansas, Issel writes: “Larry Brown was a hyper kind of person who always was unhappy with the talent of his players. If he would have had Larry Bird, he’d have wanted Julius Erving. Or vice versa.

“He’s the kind of guy who’d go to a restaurant, order a steak, and complain all during dinner that he should have gotten chicken because the steak was tough.”

Last Add Issel: About the Nuggets’ former general manager, Carl Scheer, who now serves in the same capacity for the Clippers, Issel writes: “When they write a book on pro basketball in the state of Colorado, Carl Scheer should be recognized as the godfather . . .

“It might have been (former owner) Red McCombs’ money that bailed out the team, but it was also Carl Scheer’s heart. And remember that Red wound up making a $16-million profit when he sold the Nuggets . . .

“Red wound up richer. Carl wound up in Los Angeles, trying to save the Clippers. You tell me who got the best end of that deal.”

According to Sports Illustrated, William (The Refrigerator) Perry’s little brother may be the sleeper in the NFL’s 1986 draft.

Darryl Perry, who weighs a mere 217 pounds, is a linebacker at Gardner-Webb College, an NAIA school in Boiling Springs, N.C.

Perry was the South Atlantic Conference’s defensive player of the year. But, perhaps to see if running runs in the family, his coaches decided to use him in a game against Wofford (S.C.) College at tailback. He had a 19-yard run.

At Least He’s Honest: USC Coach Stan Morrison was told by a reporter recently that Pepperdine Coach Jim Harrick is complaining because the Trojans, as well as UCLA, won’t agree to add the Waves to their basketball schedules.

“That’s true,” Morrison said.

“Why won’t you play Pepperdine?” the reporter asked.

“We don’t want to lose to them,” Morrison said.

Add Morrison: Asked if his players were affected by the high altitude in Fort Collins during their victory over Colorado State, Morrison said no.

“Why not?”

“Because we didn’t tell them,” he said.

Quotebook

After Oklahoma ran out the clock instead of going for a late touchdown in the 35-13 victory over SMU, Sooner linebacker Brian Bosworth said: “Everybody wanted us to score that last touchdown, but we’re not (Miami Coach) Jimmy Johnson. We can win with class.”