Rodman’s Absence Considered Excused

Laker executives Jerry West and Mitch Kupchak have been in contact with a representative for absent forward Dennis Rodman, a team spokesman said Sunday, and Rodman, who did not fly with the team to Sacramento to start a six-game trip, apparently will be paid for the games he misses during his sabbatical.

Do the Lakers consider it an excused absence?

“You could phrase it that way,” spokesman John Black said.

But the Lakers don’t know when Rodman, who earns $12,195 a game, will rejoin his teammates while he deals with personal issues, Black said.

Coach Kurt Rambis said Rodman did inform him that he would return to the fold at some point.

Shaquille O’Neal said the Laker players understand Rodman’s plight.

“He has personal problems,” O’Neal said. “Kurt and Mitch have excused him to handle his personal business. And we have a gracious organization that allows players to take care of their problems.

“Like Robert [Horry] had to go home the other day to check on his baby [on Thursday, without missing a game], the organization said yeah. . . .

“It’s not like he just left and nobody knows what’s up. Jerry and them know what’s up, and they excused him, so we’ve got to move on.”

Rambis said the most important thing is that Rodman settles his problems and returns ready to play hard basketball.

“I still believe that if players are happy, they’re going to play better,” Rambis said. “Whether they’ve got business problems or personal problems, if you can allow them time to get rid of those problems, they’re going to be a lot better off on the court. . . .

“We all want him, as a person, to feel good about himself. And whatever that takes. . . . irregardless of what he does with us, that’s just the right thing to do. You want people to feel good about themselves, that’s all we want him to do.”

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Newly acquired scorer Glen Rice came off the bench for the second straight game since the trade, and Rambis said he is still not sure when or if Rice will be inserted as the starting small forward.

“I like punches off the bench, you know?” Rambis said. “Teams have a tendency to put all their guns out there on the floor. And if I can go at the second unit defensively. . . .

“We have a very good team that’s really deep. If I can find people that can and will play off the bench, that’d be a good thing. It’s something I was thinking about. But I don’t know what direction I’m going.

“I want him to get in a little bit better shape [before making a decision].”