These Labor Pains Come at a Bad Time

An overnight rating suggesting the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz played the highest-rated finals opener in NBA history. The usual record amount of media from the usual record number of countries.

What could go wrong?

Never ask in a labor year. Thursday, Commissioner David Stern found himself in a spat with his star of stars, Michael Jordan, who urged players to retaliate if the owners lock them out by boycotting the World Championships in Athens that start in July.

The team is run by USA Basketball, an independent organization, of which the NBA is a member. Thus the league can shut down while still sending its players overseas in red, white and blue uniforms, reaping a publicity windfall.

Shaquille O’Neal declined his invitation because he didn’t want to give up five weeks after appearances in 1994 and 1996 but made no reference to labor issues. Current members, young players such as Chris Webber and Terrell Brandon, have been uniformly enthusiastic. None has yet picked up on veterans’ hints they should boycott.

Perhaps to underscore the point, Stern said Thursday that “if the individual players decide to trash their country, that’s going to be their decision.”

Jordan, who is not on the team, was asked if he would support a boycott.

“In a heartbeat,” he said. “I’d support it.

“If they [owners] are going to lock the players out for a pact that you agreed upon and now you want to renege on the pact and penalize us for doing that, you’re trying to take away our leverage. I would certainly be in favor of not playing in the World Cup.

“It would just prevent him [Stern] from locking us out next year. If we can’t do this [negotiate] under calm circumstances and you’re not handcuffing one side, then we can do that [participate in the games], but if you’re going to handcuff one side, then we have to retaliate.”

*

OK, they were tired, after all: Bull Coach Phil Jackson, who likes to remind his veterans they’re not kids anymore, said after Game 1 that they were tired.

Jordan, who doesn’t like to concede anything just because he’s 35, said he wasn’t.

Then Jackson looked at the tape of Game 1 and said he was sure they were.

“I think they were very fatigued,” Jackson said. “. . . I actually tried to get Michael out of the game in the third quarter, but he bargained his way back on the floor till the end of the quarter. Against my better judgment, I didn’t dissuade him.

“[Jeff] Hornacek got a couple easy baskets right at that time, and when I saw Hornacek reverse [backdoor] him, then I got him out of the game. . . .

“I watched guys in the video this morning with their hands on their knees, playing defense. . . . Defensively, I think we couldn’t make the stops down the stretch because we were fatigued.”

Said Jordan: “I don’t know whether that changed my energy level down the stretch or not. . . .

“It’s his call. It’s just a feeling between two people. I’m pretty sure the next time I ask to stay in, he’s not gonna listen to me, he’s gonna sit me down.”

*

Oops: It’s hard for Jackson to rest his veterans if they have to play extra minutes because the Jazz reserves are shooting the Bulls’ subs up, 22-8, as they did in Game 1.

Jackson shortened his rotation against Indiana, all but retiring Scott Burrell and Bill Wennington. Against Utah’s deep bench, Jackson simply hopes his subs can buy him some minutes, unlike the second quarter of Game 1, when a Scottie Pippen-Dickey Simpkins-Jud Buechler-Dennis Rodman-Randy Brown unit sank like a stone.

“In the process of developing their bench, Utah has done a good job of resting the guys that mean something to them down the stretch,” Jackson said.

*

San Antonio Spur point guard Avery Johnson was selected winner of the 1997-98 NBA Sportsmanship Award. . . . Seattle SuperSonic center Jim McIlvaine underwent surgery to correct soreness in his left ankle.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.