When Laettner Starts Talking, Is It Any Wonder Nobody Listens?

Christian Laettner, the temperamental center of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has now targeted 19-year-old rookie Kevin Garnett for one of his many complaints.

“You’ve got to have the rookies and young kids shut up, and you’ve got to have the coaches and the veterans take care of the team,” Laettner said after Sunday’s 108-96 loss to the Washington Bullets. “We’ve got some big britches on this team. We’ve got a lot of people who know everything.”

Laettner and Garnett had a brief exchange during Sunday’s loss, Minnesota’s third in a row. After a timeout, Laettner said to Garnett: “How come when you say something, I have to listen? But when I say something, you’ve got an answer?”

Garnett turned away, the young player showing more class than Laettner. By the way, Garnett has moved into the starting lineup one year after playing in high school.

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Trivia time: Who are the only Heisman Trophy winners who have played major league baseball?

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Help! Minnesota broadcaster Tom Hanneman, noting that Sacramento has both Tyrone Corbin and Tyus Edney on the roster: “They were the only team to open the season with no wins, no losses and two Tys.”

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Long-range plans: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle on the proposed new ballpark in the city’s South Beach neighborhood:

“There are some real problems. Traffic? If you want to be on time for the first pitch in the year 2000 and get a parking spot, you should leave your house no later than Wednesday.”

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Yawn: Reggie Miller on the Chicago Bulls before they played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday: “With the media building up their record so much, that’s really got to wear on you.”

So wearing that the Bulls beat the Pacers, 110-102, to improve their runaway record to 46-5.

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Words of wisdom: From the Yogi Berra file: “You can observe a lot by just watching.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1982, Tom Watson defeated Johnny Miller on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club.

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Trivia answer: Vic Janowicz, 1950, Ohio State, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1985, Kansas City Royals, Angels and Chicago White Sox.

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Quotebook: Illinois linebacker Simeon Rice on how high he expects to be taken in the NFL draft: “I see myself going No. 1. I know I would select me if I had the No. 1 pick.”