Clip and Save: Lakers Are Karl’s Preferred Choice

Would George Karl like to coach the Clippers?

Yes.

Would he rather coach the Lakers?

Even Donald T. Sterling could answer that one.

Although the Seattle SuperSonics didn’t make Karl available until Tuesday, he and the Clippers, according to sources close to the coach, have let each other know through intermediaries they have a mutual interest.

Karl has even let it be known that, while he wants more say in personnel matters than he had in Seattle, he doesn’t feel he has to run the team the way Pat Riley does in Miami or Rick Pitino does in Boston and could share decision making with Elgin Baylor.

However, the sources say, Karl isn’t interested in pursuing the Clipper job until he finds out the fate of Del Harris with the Lakers.

They realize that will sound as though Karl is campaigning for Harris’ job but say that is not the case. He does not, they emphasize, believe Harris should lose his job any more than he believed he should have lost his.

They add that Karl was not disappointed when he heard Monday that Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak, a fellow North Carolina alumnus, had given Harris a vote of confidence.

If the Lakers ultimately decide to make a change, though. . . .

Karl, like most coaches, would like nothing more than an opportunity to work with Jerry West.

But even if West goes through with his retirement this summer, Karl, the sources say, believes he and West’s heir apparent, Kupchak, would make a winning team. Carolina blue is even thicker than Dodger blue.

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Shaquille O’Neal is taking heat for not showing up for the Lakers’ final team meeting of the season Monday. . . .

That’s hardly fair considering he was one of the few Lakers to show up for every playoff game. . . .

Shaq is going to Laker management soon to request that they acquire his best friend from Orlando, Dennis Scott. . . .

The Lakers should do it. Scott is a one-dimensional player, but it’s a dimension--outside shooting--the Lakers obviously are lacking. . . .

His presence would help immensely in preventing defenses from collapsing on O’Neal. . . .

Penny Hardaway, not one of Shaq’s best friends from Orlando, won’t be wearing a Clipper uniform next season. . . .

The Magic would be willing to make it happen in return for the No. 1 draft choice, which they would use for Arizona point guard Mike Bibby. . . .

But the Clippers, who aren’t blind, know Hardaway hasn’t even shown the heart of Li’l Penny since Shaq left Orlando. . . .

NFL officials weren’t sure how to react to Disney Chairman Michael Eisner’s endorsement of the Coliseum. . . .

If he’s becoming a partner in New Coliseum Partners, contributing some of his considerable personal wealth to advance the financial plan, they’re impressed. . . .

Ditto if Disney is pitching in money to help rebuild the historic stadium, whether it’s because the corporation wants to improve its image in the minority community or gain a foothold in L.A. pro sports before Rupert Murdoch buys them all. . . .

They’re not impressed, however, if Eisner is merely attempting to block rival Michael Ovitz’s efforts to gain NFL support for his stadium proposal in Carson. . . .

According to L.A. Weekly, Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, the Coliseum’s point man, is opposing Magic Johnson’s redevelopment of Santa Barbara Plaza in the Crenshaw area because of Johnson’s alliance with Ovitz. . . .

Johnson is understandably hurt, considering all he has done for Los Angeles, both as a basketball player and businessman. . . .

That’s politics, which remain the No. 1 obstacle to the NFL’s return to Los Angeles. . . .

Promoter Al Franken is awaiting word from USA Track & Field on his offer to bring an international meet to Westwood, Los Angeles, Long Beach or Walnut on July 25. . . .

The meet, one of two on the Grand Prix circuit scheduled for the United States this summer, had been awarded to Durham, N.C., which dropped out in a dispute between the organizers and USATF. . . .

David Simon, president of the L.A. Sports Council, and Rich Perelman represented Los Angeles at a recent seminar in Colorado Springs, Colo., for bidders to become the United States’ official candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympics. . . .

Front-runners appear to be Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington- Baltimore. . . .

After expressing strong interest early, New York is on the verge of withdrawing. . . .

An omen? USC, which begins play in the College World Series this week, won its first national baseball championship in 1948, the same year Kentucky won in basketball and Michigan in ice hockey. . . .

Kentucky and Michigan already have won in those sports this year. . . .

The Mighty Ducks’ decision to raise ticket prices next season escaped our attention for a while, which no doubt was the idea. . . .

They chose to announce it on the afternoon Mike Piazza was traded. . . .

I don’t blame the Ducks. I blame fans willing to pay increased prices to see a team that didn’t make the playoffs. . . .

The Dodgers don’t play Piazza’s Mets until July 31-Aug. 2 in New York. The Mets play at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 28-31. . . .

Flying Rhino, a new monthly magazine covering L.A. sports, published its premiere edition this month. . . .

Piazza was on the cover. . . .

Editors are calling it the Flying Rhino jinx.

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While wondering if Charles Johnson is more popular with Dodger pitchers because of his catching or opposing pitchers because of his hitting, I was thinking: I didn’t know Reggie Miller could shoot that well without Spike Lee watching, NBA coaches who complain about officiating in the playoffs should have their tongues cut out because fines aren’t working, too bad “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan has become a villain because he was such a great role model for kids.