Now, This Is What You Call a Private Number

Indiana basketball Coach Bob Knight covets high school recruit Lawrence Funderburke.

Knight gave Funderburke his private phone number.

According to Knight, President George Bush is the only other person who has the number.

“So, if you call and it’s busy, you know it’s important,” Knight told Funderburke.

For openers: Opening day happens once a year, but try telling that to the Dodgers, who have taken part in four opening days this season.

The Dodgers opened the season in Cincinnati and then helped the Atlanta Braves usher in their season last Friday in Atlanta.

Next stop was San Francisco, where the Dodgers were the Giants’ opponent on opening night at Candlestick Park.

Then it was back to Dodger Stadium, where they opened their home season Thursday against the Houston Astros.

The original: Ray Robinson was the first Sugar Ray. But whenever a fighter with a first name of Ray appeared, the media referred to him as Sugar Ray.

During the Robinson era, a slick welterweight named George Costner was nicknamed George (Sugar) Costner. Before they met in Chicago in 1945, Robinson warned there was room for only one Sugar in the ring that night. Robinson destroyed Costner inside a round.

When Sugar Ray Leonard won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics, he asked Robinson if he minded him using his nickname.

Replied Robinson: “I think it’s great when kids think enough of you to use your name.”

Bronx cheers: After the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League playoffs, Ranger fans jeered General Manager Phil Esposito, who coached the team in the playoffs.

“New York has without a doubt the greatest fans in the world,” Esposito said. “New York fans are unbelievable. They just have to understand that I had a dirty job to do, I did it and I faced it.”

Esposito may not have the job long.

Rumored as a possible replacement for Esposito is John Davidson, who just about matches Esposito’s qualifications. Davidson is color commentator on the Rangers’ telecasts, the same job Esposito held before he became general manager.

Quotebook: After the Miami Heat lost to the Sacramento Kings, 108-69, and then to the Seattle SuperSonics, 116-111, reserve Scott Hastings said: “I don’t want to say this was a moral victory, but after you start a road trip by losing to Sacramento by 40, I think it is.”