THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : While Jordan Golfs, Shaq Becomes Ambassador

The old order passeth, all right.

It passeth up this site of the All-Star game altogether and flyeth straight to Las Vegas for two days of golf and gaming, blowing off the Friday interview session in the process.

Yes, the old order’s name is Michael Jordan.

The new order arriveth here right on time in every sense. With Magic Johnson and Larry Bird suddenly gone and Mike disinterested, the NBA needs a new hero and here he comes, 7 feet tall, 310 pounds, 7% body fat, wide smile. Ask David Stern, is this a great universe or what?

Yes, the new order’s name is Shaquille O’Neal and it’s a remarkable one.

He single-handedly reinvigorated NBC’s ratings, which were down 15% before his network pro debut two weeks ago but jumped 50%, including last week’s destructo on CBS’ Indiana-Michigan matchup, which NBC’s New York Knicks-Orlando Magic game beat by 44%.

NBC, now your Shaq network, is scrambling for more of him. It has already added two telecasts this month; counting today’s game the big guy will have been on four weeks in a row, which is more coverage than Magic or Bird used to get combined.

O’Neal, still determinedly humble, says he doesn’t feel special here.

“It’s hard for one man to dominate a game like this,” he said. “I’m just going to go up and down on the floor, get a couple dunks down, dive on the floor a couple times, shoot a couple threes. Whatever happens happens.”

And his destiny?

A little grin.

“I think if I continue to work hard, maybe I’ll be a legend,” he said. “Or maybe not.”

BRING HIM THE HEAD OF PATRICK EWING

O’Neal will start ahead of Patrick Ewing, who is so upset Coach Pat Riley was obliged to protest publicly.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Riley, dutifully, “with what Patrick has accomplished in his career and this year that he’s not starting.”

Replied the once-deferential Shaq: “For the next six years, if I’m the starter and a rookie beats me out, you won’t hear me crying about it. You won’t hear my coach crying, either. I’ll just congratulate him about it.

“It’s not like I won by two votes. I won by 500,000.”

Nor was it a frivolous choice. O’Neal, 20, has numbers (23 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks) comparable to any of his rivals and better than any of them put up as rookies with the exception of David Robinson, who broke in at age 24.

Then there’s the matter of public relations. O’Neal works hard at it. Ewing is from Georgetown and does the legal minimum.

For a more succinct reply to Ewing, O’Neal dunked over him in last week’s game.

ESPN showed footage in which it read O’Neal’s lips, yelling at Ewing:

“Who’s No. 1 now?”

Answer: It’s getting easier to tell every day.

AT THE BREAK

For those who want to ease into this slowly, here’s how the first half of the season went:

MVP--Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns. His first, at last. He’s going to have to chase a referee over the press table every week to mess this one up.

Coach of the year--It’s tough to overlook the Suns’ Paul Westphal, who is 38-10, except the San Antonio Spurs’ John Lucas is 24-4. Neither has had to deal with hard times yet and they’re out there somewhere.

Defensive player of the year--Robinson, Spurs. The other entry in this two-man race, Dennis Rodman, is settling for trying to get 1,000 rebounds in 50 games.

Sixth man--Cliff Robinson, Portland Trail Blazers.

Most improved player--Mark Jackson, Clippers.

Rookie of the year--Guess.

Executive of the year--1. Dave Checketts, Knicks. 2. 25-way tie between every other honcho except Dallas Maverick owner Don Carter. 3. Carter.

Best race in the East--Three-way contest between the Chicago Bulls, Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bulls are tired and sore but still have the highest top end and the easiest schedule.

The Knicks are gathering momentum slowly. Riley has a move up his sleeve--switching Charles Smith, lost at small forward, to power forward--should he need it.

The Cavaliers, significantly more athletic with Gerald Wilkins at small forward, have the best record (26-8) in the East since Dec. 12.

Throwing out games without Brad Daugherty or Mark Price, they are 31-10.

They can also beat the Knicks: 4-1 over the last two seasons.

Best race in the West--Mavericks vs. the 1972-3 Philadelphia 76ers who went 9-73, a .110 percentage. The Mavericks hit the break at .082.

BY GEORGE, HE’S GOT IT (NOT)

Spurned Maverick rookie Jim Jackson is trying a power play--announcing that if he isn’t traded by the Feb. 25 deadline, he will nix any deal and go back in the draft.

This may be a bluff--why knock down a trade to a team he likes to take his chances in the draft?--but by now he has suggested he might do what he says he will.

The Mavericks, who mishandled every other aspect of this affair, did a pratfall over this one too.

Said General Manager Norm Sonju, somewhat tastelessly:

“I shake that I even have to say this, but for the good of the Mavericks in the long haul, it might be better for us to consider this our Lenny Bias.

“We drafted Jim. If he chooses not to play, then we’ve lost our asset. But by George, our pick next year will understand he won’t force us into trading him.”

Insensitivity aside, let’s not dismiss his argument out of hand.

Of course, how many dynasties can you name that were built by letting franchise players go back into the draft?

GEE, THANKS

The Mavericks have an overriding problem: they are run by committee and are achingly, dinosaur-slow to act.

For more highlights in sports administration, they are still pursuing Quinn Bucker, who’s limiting his reply to a series of coy smiles in his role as NBC commentator.

The Mavericks say they will wait the season out.

Buckner will wait to see if they ever sign a No. 1 pick, without which rebuilding will proceed slowly.

In the meantime, personnel director Rick Sund said of Gar Heard, “There is a very good chance he’ll be our coach for the rest of the year.”

FACES AND FIGURES

Blazermelancholia, continued: Portland is shopping none other than Clyde Drexler, suggesting the Blazer front office thinks that its window of opportunity is closing. Better solution: move Clyde to small forward, Terry Porter to shooting guard, start Rod Strickland and trade (or waive) Jerome Kersey, the hustling klutz whose involvement in the Salt Lake City scandal makes him a community embarrassment, besides. . . . O’Neal, averaging 23 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, vs. the big three as rookies: Ewing averaged 20-9-1; Hakeem Olajuwon 21-12-3; Robinson 24-12-4. . . . For the record: O’Neal says he didn’t yell “Who’s No. 1 now?” at Ewing. “He had 30 points, I had eight,” O’Neal said. “Why would I yell at him when I’m playing bad?” . . . Someone’s in trouble in Indiana but is it Coach Bob Hill, who just signed his three-year extension (only one guaranteed by wily General Manager Donnie Walsh) or Walsh, who says he deserves the blame because he put this team together? Owner Herb Simon doesn’t know whether to fire someone or everyone or sell the team. Said Simon: “Maybe I’m not designed to be the owner of this team.” . . . Said Sacramento’s Spud Webb after Reggie Miller made three three-pointers against the King scrubs in the final 3:30 of a Pacer rout: “I’m furious. We should have taken him out.” . . . If it wasn’t for bad luck, they wouldn’t have any luck at all: Mitch Richmond, never an All-Star despite three seasons in which he never averaged fewer than 22 points, made it, then broke a thumb. He would have been the first King in the game since Otis Birdsong in 1981.

Unhappy Seattle SuperSonic of the week: Dana Barros on his diminishing minutes: “I don’t want to be an ass and complain like so many other players in the league. I know I could go someplace else and stink, but at least I’d have the opportunity to stink.” . . . Benoit Benjamin goof-up of the week, or countdown to kickoff: Benjamin, restored to the rotation by the lobbying of General Manager Bob Whitsitt, was picked up for speeding, missed a shootaround and was fined $500 by Coach George Karl, who benched him again. Remember, Karl says the only mistake he made in tearing up Joe Barry Carroll’s locker was doing it in front of the press. Lloyds of London wouldn’t insure Benjamin’s locker now. . . . Latest reminder the Bulls aren’t your ordinary two-time defending champions: Bill Cartwright’s value was never more evident when he took a game off, forcing Phil Jackson to double-team Brad Daugherty and opening up the outside to Craig Ehlo and Mark Price in a Cavalier upset at Chicago. Mr. Bill, 35, is so sore, the Bulls would like to rest him for a month. Meanwhile, backups Stacey King, Scott Williams and Will Perdue all asked to be traded again. Said Perdue: “I think that after the trading deadline (my) motivation is going to go way down.”

Clipper Coach Larry Brown on reports of a trade for Portland’s Kevin Duckworth: “If we added Duckworth to (John) Williams, (Elmore) Spencer and (Stanley) Roberts, we’d have a bigger front four than any NFL team.” . . . Boston’s Kevin McHale, defending Robert Parish’s acknowledged use of marijuana: “All I know is if alcohol was first being fermented today, it would be illegal. I can’t think of a single doctor on earth saying, ‘Yeah, this stuff is good for you, let’s put it in bottles and sell it in stores.” . . . Miami’s Kevin Edwards, a starter having a career season (15 points, shooting 48%), dropped out of rotation as Coach Kevin Loughery moved Brian Shaw into the starting lineup and Harold Miner to No. 3 guard. Said Edwards, an unrestricted free agent-to-be: “I don’t think it’s a coaching decision. It came from management. I could see it coming.” . . . Correction: the 1972-73 76ers went 4-47 under Roy Rubin, then 0-11 with Kevin Loughery. They went 5-2 before finishing 0-13. . . . Miami’s Glen Rice: “I guess if you put these two games together, I had 45. I had four points tonight and five the other night.”