O’Neal Shows Generosity

Travis Knight got a remote-control car from his Secret Santa, John Salley got cologne, and other players received videotapes and various other knickknacks near the prescribed $100 player-to-player spending limit.

Then there was Derek Fisher, whose Secret Santa showed as much regard for the spending ceiling as he has for opposing centers this season.

During the post-practice gift exchange in the locker room at Staples Center on Friday, Shaquille O’Neal gave Fisher a platinum Rolex, probably worth more than $5,000.

“I don’t believe in limits when it comes to taking care of friends and family,” O’Neal said.

Was Fisher happy? “I’m sure he was,” O’Neal said.

“It’s just something I’ve always done,” Coach Phil Jackson said of the gift exchange, “where they have to think about a teammate and make some decisions and put themselves in somebody else’s shoes as to what they think this person would want.

“I tried not to be there so I don’t have my nose in it all of the time, so that it’s something they can do that’s kind of their own personal thing, so they have their own identity.

“And I heard a lot of laughter coming out of their locker room.”

Said O’Neal: “We’ve never done that before. It was cool. It was a good idea for Phil to do that, have the guys exchange gifts.”

*

O’Neal said the Lakers aren’t putting too much emotional stock in their first matchup against the San Antonio Spurs since last season’s second-round Spur playoff sweep.

“They were just on a roll,” O’Neal said. “We lost to the champs. It’s not like just a regular team beat us. The champs beat us.

“But no matter what happens 1/8today 3/8, there’s still a long ways to go.”

Jackson said he understands the difficulty the Spurs are experiencing in the season following a title.

“It’s tough for a team to win two years in a row,” Jackson said. “It’s tough to match that challenge that you have every single night, coming in and teams really getting up for you because you are the champions. I know a little bit about that. You have to play every game like it’s a playoff game all year long. And it takes its toll.”

TONIGHT

vs. San Antonio

6:30, Channel 4

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 22-5, Spurs 19-9.

* Update--These are two of the best defenses in the league, and Jackson predicts that 90 points will be a winning score. O’Neal, who has almost always matched up against David Robinson, probably will spend much more time defending Tim Duncan, who gave the Lakers fits in the playoffs. Knight (sore ankle) probably will be activated from the injured list by game time in order to beef up the Laker front line.

* Tickets--Sold out.