Sarcastic Jackson Tackles the Kings

Laker Coach Phil Jackson makes fun of Sacramento, and the people there get very upset.

They have to know he’s kidding. The man is from Montana, for the love of Cud.

See, on a certain level, Jackson thinks of the NBA as a traveling circus. In every circus there has to be the first guy out of the tiny Volkswagen. That would be Jackson, armed with the seltzer bottle. Sacramento merely had the misfortune of sitting in the front row.

The Lakers play at Sacramento tonight. It is their first game at Arco Arena since Jackson’s description of fans there as “semi-civilized” and “maybe redneck in some form or fashion,” and the first game against the Kings since the Lakers eliminated them from the playoffs in five games.

Reminded again of those comments, Jackson narrowed his eyes and his feng shui.

“You know, one of my problems with the press is that they do not accurately record things that are said,” he scolded. “You guys convey an image. They [asked], ‘Is this the most intense crowd you’ve ever seen in your life?’ I said, ‘No. When I coached in Puerto Rico, there was some really outrageous behavior. But, you’d think the people from Sacramento are at least semi-civilized because they’re an American, California community.’ ”

Sacramento viewed it as something less than a compliment.

“Ah, that’s good, because it’s developed into a lot of fun for us here,” he said, sarcasm dripping from his seltzer bottle.

The redneck thing? That was misunderstood too?

“Well, those cowbells behind the bench, I don’t know how else you can interpret that,” Jackson said, grinning again.

Jackson added that during the playoffs the Lakers requested the battery-powered bells be forbidden, particularly the ones behind the Laker bench, and that the Kings not pretend to burn another Laker jersey at half court.

“But,” he said, “it’s a great home crowd. That’s their team, their game, the one game in town. What else do they play? Picking fruits and vegetables? And that’s the one they love.”

Jackson’s observations don’t appear to have much impact on his players. They laugh at the jokes. Then they play through the venom.

“It raises the expectations of the game and heightens the matchup,” Rick Fox said. “Sacramento feels, in some sense, disrespected as a city.

“I think if they really looked at it they’d see it was put out there to generate that kind of a response. They fall into it. I guess it’s good for the game.”

Robert Horry waved his hand at the question of Jackson’s practice of baiting entire metropolitan areas.

“You’re going to have to ask him,” he said. “That’s a weird cat.”

*

King forward Chris Webber has a sprained left ankle, did not practice Wednesday and is questionable for tonight’s game. He did not play in the Kings’ win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. . . . Shaquille O’Neal said his sore thumbs neither progressed nor regressed overnight. He practiced Wednesday. He said he probably will not resume anti-inflammatory medication because it upsets his stomach. . . . Isaiah Rider, who suffered a sprained right ankle Tuesday night, is expected to play tonight.

TONIGHT

at Sacramento

5, Channel 9, TNT

* Site--Arco Arena

* Radio--KLAC (570)

* Records--Lakers 5-3, Kings 7-2.

* Record vs. Kings (1999-2000)--3-1.

* Update--The Lakers are 2-2 on the road, the Kings 4-0 at home. . . . No King opponent has shot 50%. . . . Guard Jason Williams has played the last four games after returning from a five-game suspension.