This Guy Walked Right Into Hornets’ Nest

A man was arrested at Charlotte Coliseum Sunday after he walked into the home team’s locker room before the Hornets’ game against Cleveland and tried to dress in Charlotte guard Rickey Green’s uniform.

Charlotte forward Kelly Tripucka, who at first thought the intruder was a reporter, said: “After about five minutes, he moved over to Rickey’s locker and he started getting undressed. I was laughing at him.

“I said, ‘What’s this guy doing?’ Nobody knows him and he’s got his pants off.

“I just wanted to make sure he didn’t have a gun. When he had his pants off, I could see he was unarmed.

“He was determined to get dressed and get ready for the game,” Tripucka said after the Hornets lost to the Cavaliers, 110-91. “The sad thing is, we probably could have used him.”

No Respect Dept.: West Virginia, ranked No. 15 in the latest Associated Press basketball poll, has the nation’s longest winning streak at 16 games.

But after starting the season 1-2, the Mountaineers weren’t ranked in the top 20 until last week, when they earned the No. 18 spot.

Being overlooked in the polls is nothing new for West Virginia.

“We were ranked quicker this year than we were in 1982,” Coach Gale Catlett said. “In 1982, we had a 16-game winning streak and went 17-1 and didn’t get ranked until Feb. 4. We got in there this time a week ahead of time.”

Trivia time: What was memorable about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s first All-Star game appearance in 1970? (Answer to follow.)

HBO is staging a press conference in the Time-Life Building in New York today at which an overflow crowd of about 500 is expected, about 200 more than invited.

HBO is promoting its Thursday night showing of “Sports Illustrated: The Making of the Swimsuit Issue,” and among those present at the press conference will be Christie Brinkley, Elle Macpherson, Cheryl Tiegs, and this year’s cover girl, Kathy Ireland.

Said HBO publicist Tony Fox: “Usually we’re lucky if we get close to 50% response for a press conference, but for this one it’s been unbelievable. It seems everyone wants to go.”

Wonder why.

Generosity Dept.: Burt Grossman, defensive end from the University of Pittsburgh and a likely first-round National Football League draft choice, said he will donate $100,000 to Pitt’s scholarship fund and $5,000 to his high school, Archbishop Carroll High in Bala Cynwyd, a suburb of Philadelphia.

“I just wanted to show my appreciation for the great opportunity that has been afforded me in high school and college,” Grossman said.

Grossman said the gifts aren’t contingent on his being a No. 1 selection in the April draft.

Pitt Coach Mike Gottfried said: “What makes this even more special is that Burt Grossman made this commitment without knowing what is going to happen in the draft.

“It is a great example for athletes everywhere who may have the opportunity to give something back to their schools.”

26 Years Ago Today: On Feb. 7, 1963, Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scored 56 points in a 134-129 loss to the Cincinnati Royals.

23 Years Ago Today: On Feb. 7, 1966, Chamberlain scored 65 points to lead the Warriors to a 132-125 victory over the Lakers.

Trivia answer: Abdul-Jabbar, a rookie with the Milwaukee Bucks, fouled out after playing 18 minutes and scoring 10 points. The other center on his team, Willis Reed, also fouled out.

Quotebook

Bob Knight, asked by Dick Vitale during an ESPN interview if he had ever done anything he regretted: “Yeah. Back in 1968, we (Army) played Notre Dame in the NIT, and at halftime I could have done a better job of coaching.”