They Were Never a Cinch to Clinch

The Lakers set one record about which they may or may not be overly proud, but it might be the statistic long remembered as capturing the nature of this up-and-down postseason:

Their six losses in potential series clinchers (two to Sacramento, one to Phoenix, two to Portland and one to Indiana) are more clinchers than any team has ever lost.

“That’s great,” Coach Phil Jackson said before Game 6 with a sardonic smile when asked about the mark.

Does it mean anything?

“No, it doesn’t say a thing,” Jackson said. “It says something about this team a little bit, but it’s not the story.”

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Laker owner Jerry Buss took pains to credit the absent Jerry West for building this championship team, and said he does not know if the executive vice president will return next season--though he very much hopes he does.

“I don’t know, that’s up to Jerry,” Buss said. “We’ll have some nice talks after all the emotion settles down.”

Buss said it has been West who guided the team after losing Magic Johnson to illness, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy to retirement.

“He’s the magician,” Buss said. “I wish Jerry West was sitting beside me. For 20 years, he’s brought the kind of talent it takes to win a NBA championship to L.A.”

West did not attend Game 6--or any of the games in the last two rounds, home or away--and was not available for comment.

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Kobe Bryant has sued a sports memorabilia company to clarify his obligations to sign between 15,000 and 32,800 trading cards and other collectibles.

Bryant wants a Superior Court in Los Angeles to determine if the contract holder has made demands beyond contract terms.

Among the issues is Bryant’s claim the contract, which expires Sept. 15, is limited to trading cards and collectibles and does not include paintings, lithographs and pennants made by contract holder, Oxxford Express Inc.

Bryant also wants the court to determine if he must meet Oxxford’s demand he appear on the Home Shopping Network or QVC cable shopping network.

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Not many members of previous Laker championship teams were expected at Monday’s game.

The only confirmed former winners were Norm Nixon, Kurt Rambis and Magic Johnson. Black said James Worthy hoped to attend but was doubtful because of a previous charity commitment.

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The Laker players said that they knew the Pacers, who lost their first four games at Staples this season, would have a tougher time shooting at Staples on Monday than they did in the three games at Conseco Fieldhouse.

“There’s just so much space,” guard Derek Fisher said. “Even being in the building [Saturday] at the boxing match, it’s just big.

“It’s so many square feet and then you put this little tiny orange rim into the middle of this space, it really makes it tough.

“For us as a home team, it took us a long time to adjust to it and really feel comfortable shooting in that building.”

The Pacers didn’t seem too uncomfortable in Game 6. They made 36 of 77 shots (46.8%), including 12 of 25 three-pointers.

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How rough can it get in the interview situations during the finals? Sometimes it takes the coach to calm the waters.

On Sunday, with 30 or 40 reporters surrounding him at the team’s El Segundo practice site, Jackson temporarily-- halted the session to dress down a cameraman who was trying to shove aside a local beat writer.

“You guys settle down, will you? Quit messing around!” Jackson roared, glaring at the cameraman and gesturing at the camera. “You especially. This is a guy that covers me all year long, don’t be [jockeying] around with him!”

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Former Laker coach Del Harris, after spending this season in a variety of consulting and coaching jobs around the league, will return to the bench in 2000-01 as an assistant to longtime friend Don Nelson with the Dallas Mavericks.

Harris spent the final two months of the regular season as the defensive coordinator with the Mavericks, then served as an advisor to the Portland Trail Blazers during the Western Conference finals against the Lakers. The Mavericks reportedly rewarded him with a three-year contract worth at least $500,000 a season, well above the league average, to become a full-time assistant.

That puts him back on the bench for the first time since being fired by the Lakers on Feb. 24, 1999, 12 games into his fifth season. In Dallas, he joins Sidney Moncrief, hired after one year at Arkansas Little Rock and immediately anointed Nelson’s successor, and Nelson’s son, Donn.

IN QUOTES

“I want to thank Phil Jackson, the real coach of the year. I want to thank you all for believing in us. We’re going to get one next year too.”

SHAQUILLE O’NEAL

to Staples Center fans

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“I’ve stayed dry through all my championships, and I want to keep my streak alive.”

A.C. GREEN

being chased by Robert Horry during

champagne celebration in the locker room