A New Kind of Trotter Sets Pace With Message

Orlando Antigua stood on a street corner in the Bronx 10 years ago, watching a fight between two gang members, when someone else in the crowd threw an egg at them. The one who was hit pulled a pistol from his pocket, looked into the crowd, made eye contact with Antigua and shot him in the head.

Doctors were amazed he lived, but not his mother.

“God left you on Earth for a reason,” she said.

Traveling around Los Angeles and Orange counties in a Jeep from 6:45 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to make appearances and then getting up early Wednesday to do it again, Antigua never complained. He knew he was fulfilling his purpose.

Antigua, 24, is here with the Harlem Globetrotters for games Saturday night at the Pond and Sunday afternoon at the Forum, but his real mission is to tell the story of overcoming the gunshot wound, six years of severe headaches and a temporary period of homelessness as his family struggled financially.

The Globetrotters, while playing an important role along with Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson and others in the integration of sports, have had an enormous impact on the African American community in their 70 years. Antigua, with a mother from Puerto Rico and father from the Dominican Republic, opens other doors as their first Latino player.

“I can go to places like Para Los Ninos in East L.A. and relate because I’ve walked in their shoes,” he said. “I tell them that if I can make it, so can they.”

Antigua said he made it because of a supportive family, faith in God and an outside shooting touch that earned him a scholarship to Pittsburgh. He was a member of the All-Big East freshman team in 1991, despite headaches that didn’t subside until he had the bullet surgically removed from his head before his junior year.

“I’m unleaded now,” he said.

His message, though, is high octane.

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On “The Simpsons” Tuesday night, Krusty the Clown couldn’t pay off his gambling debt after betting the Globetrotters would lose to the Washington Generals. “I thought they were due,” he said. . . .

Either a former USC or UCLA player has won the Nissan Open the last three years, Bruin Corey Pavin in 1994 and ’95 and Trojan Craig Stadler in ’96. . . .

Seven former Bruins, including current Coach Brad Sherfy, and five former Trojans are in this year’s field. . . .

Do you think Fred Funk will be in one today, teeing off at 7:54 a.m. in a group with Tiger Woods and Tom Watson? . . .

Other pairings certain to have followings are Pavin, Fred Couples and Payne Stewart at 7:27 and Stadler, Nick Faldo and Lee Janzen at 11:56 on the 10th tee. . . .

If you want to watch running this weekend but not necessarily 26.2 miles of it in the L.A. Marathon, you can get it in smaller doses in track meets Saturday at UCLA and Sunday at USC. . . .

A 150-meter race with all legitimate contenders involved would end with Frankie Fredericks first, Michael Johnson second, Ato Boldon third, Mike Marsh fourth and Donovan Bailey fifth. . . .

How has USC’s Kristine Quance rebounded from her disappointment of last summer, when she was disqualified from the U.S. Swimming trials in her best event? She’s favored to score more points than anyone in the Pacific 10 women’s championship beginning today in Federal Way, Wash. . . .

Charles O’Bannon and Cameron Dollar aren’t the only accomplished UCLA athletes appearing for the last time this weekend at Pauley Pavilion. Four-time All-American gymnast Leah Homma performs in her last meet there Sunday afternoon. . . .

Say it ain’t so. TV Guide reports NBC asked John Tesh to return as a gymnastics commentator for the 2000 Summer Olympics. . . .

The judge’s decision last week enabling the 1998 Super Bowl to remain in San Diego probably ended the Rose Bowl’s chances of ever staging another one. The next time the Super Bowl comes to the L.A. area, it’s likely to be in a new stadium. . . .

Going into Wednesday night’s game, the Clippers were 16-15 since Darrick Martin became a starter. . . .

William Wrigley Jr. Co. has been granted a patent for an environmentally correct chewing gum that becomes brittle and degrades upon exposure. I’m guessing the Wrigleys perfected that formula when they owned the Cubs. . . .

The Cubs will win the National League pennant. I think they’re due.

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While wondering if Michelle Kwan can regain her balance for the Champions Series final Saturday, I was thinking: The Angels were smart to sign Tim Salmon now, at least J.J. Daigneault will have time to unpack, I’d feel comfortable with Tiger against the field.