Barkley Beat His Teammates to the Punch

Before Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal brawled Wednesday night in Houston, Barkley already had complained that the Rockets needed to show some fight and some nerve.

“I hate wimpy men,” Barkley had said to John P. Lopez of the Houston Chronicle.

Wrote Lopez: “And so Wednesday was a night when the prophecy would be fulfilled, even if the promise of finally winning a game was not.

“Naturally, the fight was not something you’d want your children to emulate or revere. But it was a necessary evil. It was Barkley showing something the Rockets desperately need: fight.”

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More Barkley: Commenting on the Lakers, he said, “When Phil [Jackson] gets the Lakers to play with the discipline he expects, they’re going to be scary. Phil’s a great coach. He’ll get it out of them. You play hard for Jackson and smart, or you don’t play.”

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Trivia time: How many Laker coaches have been named NBA coach of the year?

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Still has it: Michael Jordan was back on the Chicago Bulls’ practice floor Wednesday, and the 36-year-old retired superstar went one on one with guard Corey Benjamin, 21, and beat him, 11-9, after leading, 10-3.

“Half-court and I’m wore out,” Jordan said. “The good thing is, he’s wore out more than I am.”

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Neanderthal man: Kansas City Chief Coach Gunther Cunningham, on the pass-oriented nature of today’s NFL:

“This isn’t a league of Frisbee. This is a league of physical, in-your-face contact. But it appalls me how the game has changed. If we keep playing with these rules, pretty soon we’ll be playing Frisbee.”

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Waiting game: Nick Faldo, 42, is engaged to Valerie Bercher, 26, a Swiss public-relations consultant. She will be wife No. 3. He also had a three-year relationship with American college golfer Brenna Cepelak.

“This one is going to last,” he said.

Comment from Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle: “But we hope Nick and Valerie aren’t rushing into this: Their wedding is scheduled for the summer of 2001.”

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Resourceful: From comedian, commentator and former major leaguer Bob Uecker: “The most I ever made in one season was $17,000. And $9,000 of that came from selling other guys’ equipment.”

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Trivia answer: Three. Bill Sharman in 1971-72, Pat Riley, 1989-90, and Del Harris, 1994-95.

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And finally: NBC’s Bob Numeier, during Saturday’s telecast of the Breeders’ Cup: “Jim Gray was supposed to be on the show, but the horses wouldn’t talk to him.”