Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 23, 1995

Sedale Threatt thanked his former coach, Magic Johnson, at the Lakers’ Christmas party. . . .

“Now we all see what you were talking about,” Threatt told Johnson. “You were right, winning is everything.” . . .

Johnson’s record as coach late last season was 5-11, but today the minority owner and vice president of the Lakers believes he benefited from the experience and so did the team. . . .

“It was too late to do much actual coaching,” Johnson said. “What I tried to do was tell the players what winning in L.A. was all about and what sacrifices they needed to make.” . . . “I was disappointed at the results then, but now I’m finding out that I did get through to them.” . . .

Of course, that Laker team wasn’t the same as the one that has brought winning and excitement back to the Forum. . . .

Like everyone else, Johnson cites the additions of Eddie Jones and Cedric Ceballos, now on the injured list, and the maturity of Nick Van Exel as keys to the improvement. . . .

He also says that his successor as coach, Del Harris, is doing an excellent job mixing the talent and driving home the importance of defense. . . .

“I love Eddie,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy who plays both ends of the court. Even if he’s not shooting well, he can give you rebounds, assists, blocked shots and steals. He gets his hands on so many balls, it’s unbelievable. They’ll miss him while he’s out.” . . .

“Nick has become the team leader. He’s more than a shooter now. He does whatever it takes to win. He has learned how to become a point guard.” . . .

Rookie Jones and sophomore Van Exel are two of the young players in the NBA who give Johnson hope that the future of the league is in good hands. . . .

“The NBA is going to survive,” he said. “Grant Hill is a team player and a winner and Glenn Robinson is coming on. Anfernee Hardaway has great skills, and I’m trying to tell him the importance of being a leader and a winner. He always tells me that he can out-jump me, but I tell him that I can out-win him.” . . .

Johnson agrees with those who say there are too many crybabies and spoiled brats in professional basketball, but thinks the biggest problem is a lack of fundamentals. . . .

“Teams aren’t shooting 50% anymore,” he says. “Nobody is shooting the hook or doing the drop step. I don’t know if the problem starts in high school or college. Guys like Michael, Bird, Kareem and McHale all had tremendous fundamentals.” . . .

At 35 and in his fourth season of retirement from the NBA after contracting the virus that causes AIDS, Magic says he feels fine. . . .

Next week, Magic Johnson’s All-Stars will play five exhibition games in Australia. The games last 40 minutes and Johnson expects to play all 40 every night. . . .

In April, the team will play six games in Korea and Japan, and Johnson will have a former Laker teammate named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has been practicing for the last couple of weeks, in the lineup. . . .

After that, Johnson will return home and root for the Lakers during what he believes will be a lengthy run in the playoffs. . . .

“I really think we have a good shot to win the Western Conference championship if everyone is healthy and plays the way they’re supposed to,” he said. . . .

“The injury to Danny Manning puts the whole West in doubt. We match up well against everybody in the conference except San Antonio. Nobody will want to draw us. We’ve proven that we can win both at home and on the road.” . . .

“We’ll surprise some people, not that we haven’t already.” . . .

*

I hereby second Jim Harrick’s nomination of UCLA forward Ed O’Bannon as college basketball player of the year. . . .

It would be particularly fitting if he won the John Wooden Award. . . .

O’Bannon is a devoted father and student who is having an exceptional season after resisting the temptation of the NBA draft after his junior year. . . .

O’Bannon’s line Tuesday against Stanford at Maples Pavilion showed his versatility--22 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five blocked shots and three steals. . . .

It didn’t go down to the wire, but the Bruin-Cardinal game was one of the best of the Pacific 10 Conference season. . . .

Unlike the first time, the officials let the teams play basketball, and the fans were among the winners.