It’s a Good Thing He Didn’t Visit Central Park

New York is a dangerous place. Just ask Miami Heat forward Kurt Thomas, who is sidelined because of a broken right ankle.

Thomas was eating at a New York restaurant recently when he excused himself to go to the restroom.

On the way back, he stepped aside to make way for a waitress walking down the aisle and fell four steps leading to the kitchen.

“New York restaurants are crazy,” Thomas said later. “They’re too darn small. There’s no space.”

On your next visit, Kurt, you might want to consider room service.

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Trivia time: Mark O’Meara won the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am for the fifth time on Sunday. Who holds the PGA Tour record for most victories in a single event?

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He can’t dunk either: New Jersey’s Jayson Williams on the Nets’ latest contract offer:

“They just offered me a $17-million extension. I told them Cal [Coach John Calipari] makes $20 million and he doesn’t grab any rebounds.”

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Sound reasoning: Tough guy Jim McKenzie of the Phoenix Coyotes, on a television show he was asked to do: “I’ve seen a lot of you [media] jokers on TV a lot and, hey, if you clowns can do it, I know I sure can.”

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Guess who: Tod Leonard in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “As if the controversy over the renovation of San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium wasn’t depressing enough, there was this headline in an out-of-town paper:

“ ‘If San Diego doesn’t want the Super Bowl, we’ll take it.’

“LA paper? No. Phoenix? No. Houston? No.

“Try Yuma, Ariz.”

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Easygoing guy: Charlotte Hornet forward Anthony Mason gracefully accepting being left off the Eastern Conference All-Star team:

“I thought the All-Star game was for the best players, not the guys who kiss everybody’s butt.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1958, Cliff Hagan of the St. Louis Hawks set an NBA record with 12 baskets in a quarter against New York. The record was equaled by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962, and broken by David Thompson, with 13 in 1978.

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Trivia answer: Sam Snead, with eight victories in the Greater Greensboro Open.

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And finally: New York Yankee pitcher David Cone in Inside Sports magazine, on Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf paying $55 million to Albert Belle:

“At first I was surprised, but [union chief] Don Fehr had a good point. He said it didn’t surprise him because Jerry always does what’s best for Jerry.

“If he had a chance to pull a fast one or sneak in the back door, he would do it. He’s the guy who used the antitrust laws to his benefit in basketball, and then argues against them in baseball. That’s the type of guy you’re dealing with.”