Let’s Hope Bryant Doesn’t Get a Bad Rap

Shaquille O’Neal, with his rapping, isn’t the only musical Laker.

Kobe Bryant is teaming with supermodel Tyra Banks for his debut record “K-O-B-E” on the “NBA TeamUp Celebration 2000” TV special Feb. 12.

It will be Bryant’s first performance before a live audience. His first album, “Visions,” will be released in March.

Bryant said he has been singing for the last two years and he takes it seriously.

“I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t serious,” Bryant said.

Asked if he was any good, he said, “Pretty good. I really enjoy it.”

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Trivia time: When tennis star Martina Hingis was voted “Swiss Personality of the Year 1996” in a poll conducted by Schweizer Illustrierte magazine, whom did she edge out?

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Different time: On Nov. 28, 1993, Northern Iowa lost to Boston University in an NCAA Division I-AA football playoff game, 27-21.

“We hung in there,” the Northern Iowa quarterback said at the time. “We had our chances to win. Now I hope BU goes on to win its next game.”

That quarterback? Kurt Warner.

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New math: When courtside hecklers got on Seattle SuperSonic forward Vin Baker in Oakland, his response was, “Eighty-six!”

Not, however, 86 as in, ‘You’re out of here,’ but as in an $86-million contract.

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Buy some clothes: The Romanian edition of Playboy has compensated gymnast Corina Ungureanu, who lost money for posing nude in the magazine.

Ungureanu received $1,600--the amount she would have gotten from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation last year as one of the country’s top gymnasts.

The federation banned the 19-year-old gymnast from a ceremony honoring the country’s elite last month, and withheld her prize money.

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What channel? The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes don’t rate much TV exposure. After a rare appearance against Florida on ESPN2, center Jeff O’Neill told the Raleigh News & Observer, “Usually, they put us on ESPN3.”

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The way it was: In the San Francisco Chronicle, columnist Tom FitzGerald quoted reader Chris McMitchell on Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones’ abrupt firing of coach Chan Gailey:

“The fit hit the Chan.”

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Same old story: Football helped Charlie Johnson get a degree in chemical engineering when he was throwing touchdown passes and leading New Mexico State to two Sun Bowl victories 40 years ago. Now the former NFL star is returning to his alma mater as head of the chemical engineering department.

Johnson still talks like a football personality when it comes to recruiting.

“We’ve got to get out there and find more research endowments,” he said. “There’s a lot of competition for federal, state and local money.”

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Far-flung Europe: If you want to play golf in Europe, head for South America. The PGA European Tour has added a second Brazilian stop to its 2000 season.

The Brazil Rio de Janeiro 500 Years Open will be played at Rio in March, a week before the Brazil Sao Paulo 500 Years Open in Sao Paulo.

The European tour has expanded in recent years to include events worldwide. This year’s schedule also has events in South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, Qatar and Morocco.

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Money, money: Mothers, raise your sons to be football players. In the NFL this season, there were 514 players who made at least $1 million and 266 who made at least $2 million.

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Trivia answer: Rolf Zinkernagle, the Swiss winner of the Nobel Prize for medicine.

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And finally: Nancy Lopez once asked her daughter, Ashley, to name her favorite golfer.

“Ayako Okamoto,” Ashley replied, then quickly added, “But you’re second, mom.”