O’Neal Hits Scales at 340

Whatever Coach Phil Jackson’s requested weight for Shaquille O’Neal was, the center did not meet it--probably didn’t even come close--when the Lakers were weighed after the morning practice Wednesday at UC Santa Barbara.

O’Neal, who has added muscle on his shoulders, said he came in at 340 pounds.

“The more I lift weights, the higher the number’s going to be,” O’Neal said. “I’m not really concerned about numbers. . . . I’ll bust any big man’s butt no matter what I weigh.”

Jackson downplayed the issue, but repeated that he’d like to see O’Neal trimmer.

“I’m not unhappy about it,” Jackson said. “He’s shown he’s in condition out there on the floor. That’s the major goal, the guy’s in condition so he can get up and down the court.”

Jackson says he respects O’Neal’s reasoning that he needs to build muscle because he takes so much abuse in the low post.

“I’m not going to disagree with Shaq about those types of things because he gets fouled harder than anyone in the game,” Jackson said. “He needs that kind of confidence that he can control what’s going to happen to him physically out there in the game.

“But all the other parameters going into it, getting up and down the court, the idea that he’s had a knee that was injured two years ago, he’s had the stomach injury, all those things are better served if there’s less weight.”

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Jackson spent Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning concentrating on defense, with a focus on denying all penetration.

That means, Jackson said, involving O’Neal more in help defense and getting him to worry less about fouls near the basket.

“It’s obvious that he’s been brought up with a concept that he’s got to stay out of foul trouble,” Jackson said. “This is a kid we want to be our stopper. So we’re going to tell him, you know, step in there and make the referee have to make that call and use your body position and do the things that create the protection for the rest of our players. He’s the ultimate protector for our team.”

Said O’Neal: “It’s not like I can’t play defense. It’s just that sometimes people call the game differently, and I’m the type of player, I always have to stay in the game.”

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Forward Glen Rice, suffering from tendinitis in his left knee, missed most of Wednesday’s morning practice. Rice, however, practiced in the evening.