In Today’s NBA, He’d Be ‘Another Guy’

Bob Cousy, the former Boston Celtic guard, was asked in an issue of US Air’s in-flight magazine if he would name himself on an all-time NBA team.

“That judgment should be made by someone else,” the Cooz said. “But since you asked, ‘Yes.’ ” Later, Cousy added: “That’s as modest as I could get.”

Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes issue with that assessment, pointing out that Cousy was a career 37.5% shooter.

“The all-time point guard might be a guy named Magic Johnson, who played one fewer season (12) than Cousy, amassed 3,000 more assists and shot 52% from the field.”

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Add Cousy: “Could Cousy have played in the NBA today?” Ford asks, then answers: “Yeah, but he’d have been Scott Skiles, just another guy.”

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Trivia time: Who is the all-time leading money-winner on the LPGA tour?

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Special teams: While Lou Holtz has been coaching at Notre Dame, the Irish have scored on 11 kickoff returns, nine punt returns, 10 interceptions and one fumble. The opposition has scored on one punt return and two interceptions.

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High praise: If the New England Patriots (3-11) get a shot at next year’s No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, it seems likely they will take San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk, if you listen to Charlie Armey, the team’s director of scouting.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a back as good as he is,” Armey told Brian Hewitt of the Chicago Sun-Times. “When I saw him play a year ago against BYU, I thought he was the best back I’d seen in 10 years. And when I saw him this year, I still had the same opinion.”

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Mulligan, anyone: Jack Nicklaus designed his 100th golf course this year, but not everyone appreciates his layouts.

Bernhard Langer, asked if there were any courses in his native Germany like the Nicklaus-designed PGA West Resort course, said: “No, they wouldn’t spend money to build something like this in Germany.”

Raymond Floyd, asked how he liked Nicklaus’ Desert Mountain Cochise course, replied: “It’s outdoors.”

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New career: In the movie, “Geronimo,” did the Apache scout, Sgt. Turkey, look familiar? It was Carlos Palomino, the former world welterweight champion.

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Basketball? Coach Rudy Tomjanovich of the Houston Rockets must have fantasized about being a football player in his past. This is how he described an 82-75 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics:

“What a classic defensive battle. It was down in the trenches, mud all over you. It reminded me of the old Detroit-Green Bay games.”

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Trivia answer: Pat Bradley, with $4,535,841.

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Fund-raiser: Pittsburgh Steeler President Dan Rooney, in his role as a United Way chairman, asked Anthony J.J. O’Reilly, chairman of the H.J. Heinz Co., for a hefty donation--in the neighborhood of say, several thousand dollars.

A few days later, O’Reilly called Rooney to say that he and his wife would donate $1 million over four years to the charity.

“It’s expensive to know Rooney,” O’Reilly said jokingly at an announcement party.

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Quotebook: Pro golfer Massy Kuramoto, asked how to say double eagle in Japanese: “You say, ‘Double eagle.’ ”