From Chicago, He Sees NBA Title for New Jackson City

Bernie Lincicome in the Chicago Tribune: “The NBA playoffs do not hold the same fascination these days, rather like being an in-law at a family reunion. You know the faces, you know the foibles, but you have to make an effort to care.

“So when the Lakers get the big prize sometime in June, we shall try to feel good for the Zen master, Phil Jackson, for he then shall be certifiably a great coach and not just the quirky conductor of the Michael Jordan Express.

“Here’s how I see it: The Knicks beat the Pacers in the East and the Lakers beat Portland in the West. The only question is if the Lakers will lose one game or none.”

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Trivia time: When did the Lakers make their first playoff appearance in Los Angeles?

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Shaq, Shaq, Shaq: Bill Walton in an interview with Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune: “Shaq has played as well this year as anybody who has ever played.

“I voted for Shaq as most valuable player of the year. I voted for Shaq for defensive player of the year. I voted for Shaq for most improved player of the year.”

And this from Laker forward Rick Fox: “He’s in another league. His game is not fair anymore.”

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Opinion: Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post, on John Rocker: “We have become a nation obsessed with celebrity. And if somebody reaches that celebrity status by being notorious, then so be it.

”. . . We stopped being discerning a while ago when it comes to celebrity worship. Seems we can no longer tell the difference between 15 minutes of fame and 15 minutes of shame.”

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Cheer, cheer: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “Nice of the Broncos to pick Jarious Jackson in the seventh round the other day. If they hadn’t, Notre Dame would have had one fewer player drafted than Hofstra and Harvard. Wake up the echoes? Try waking up the recruiting coordinator.”

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Very critical: Montreal Gazette columnist Jack Todd wasn’t pleased to see the Sports Network in Canada hire deposed New York Ranger General Manager Neil Smith as a game analyst.

“On any given Monday afternoon, there are 352,561 guys sitting in Montreal taverns who know more about hockey than Neil Smith--and more about money too,” Todd wrote.

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Trivia answer: In the 1960-61 season, their first in L.A., when the Lakers defeated Detroit in a Western Division semifinal series before losing to St. Louis, 4-3, in the Western Division final series.

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And finally: When Chad and Alisha Blondeel named their son who was born on Jan. 26, they weren’t inspired by family names. They picked up their remote control.

Welcome to the world, Espen Allen Blondeel.

“My wife had told me to think of some baby names, and one night when I was watching ‘SportsCenter’ it came to me,” said Chad, who watches the show at least three times daily.

The baby’s mother, Alisha, thought the name was pretty, but was less than thrilled when she found out its origin.