Clippers' Fun Bunch Is Ready

By LONNIE WHITE

Feb. 10, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON —

Three days ago, the Clippers’ Lamar Odom walked out of the trainer’s room in the visiting locker room at the Arena in Oakland and was blindsided by a verbal blitz from a teammate.

“I can’t wait to get L.O. out on the court,” rookie shooting guard Quentin Richardson said. “It’s going to be fun. Darius [Miles] and I are going to work him over.”

A stunned Odom only smiled at first and then responded: “You rookies have been talking [trash] about this game for weeks. We’ll see.”

The Clippers may not have a player participating in Sunday’s NBA All-Star game, but they will have four players busy today at MCI Center.

Odom will play for the sophomore team against Richardson and Miles’ rookie team in a 40-minute game featuring the league’s young players. Second-year swingman Corey Maggette will be one of six players making an appearance in tonight’s slam-dunk contest.

Coach Alvin Gentry doesn’t mind having a few Clippers involved in this weekend’s all-star events.

“You get a chance to see your buddies, but it’s nothing but a showcase game,” Gentry said. “The players will get to try things they normally wouldn’t try. It’s strictly for the fans.”

Miles and Richardson will get their first taste of playing as an all-star under the league’s global spotlight. That’s fine with them, especially since they will be playing against Odom.

“I just want to have fun. I’m not approaching this like it’s a championship game or something,” said Miles, who is averaging 8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots a game.

“Playing with [Richardson] will be cool. I’ll play as many minutes as the coach wants me to play. But if L.O. switches on me, I’m dunking on him.”

“And then I’m going to knock him down and push him when he gets up,” Richardson added.

It will be Odom’s second consecutive year playing in the Rookie Challenge. Odom had 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 28 minutes in last season’s game, when teammate Michael Olowokandi was on the sophomore team.

Joining Odom on this year’s sophomore team are Chicago’s Elton Brand, Charlotte’s Baron Davis, Houston’s Steve Francis, Washington’s Richard Hamilton, Phoenix’s Shawn Marion, Minnesota’s Wally Szczerbiak and Atlanta’s Jason Terry. They’ll be coached by NBA great Elvin Hayes.

Kevin Loughery will coach the rookie team, which also includes Golden State’s Marc Jackson, New Jersey’s Kenyon Martin, Toronto’s Morris Peterson, New Jersey’s Stephen Jackson, Orlando’s Mike Miller, Chicago’s Khalid El-Amin and Detroit’s Mateen Cleaves.

“It’s great to be selected to play because you don’t have to be so serious,” said Richardson, who is averaging 8.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. “I can go out there and take some crazy shots. It will be fun to play and not worry about who wins or loses.”

But what if he gets a chance to defend Odom?

“I know what L.O. is going to do,” Richardson said. “He will go back and forth between his legs three or four times and then try to stand me up. If he doesn’t do that, he’ll probably try and post me up and shoot that jump hook. But any way you look at it, this will be a fun game.”

A few hours after the Rookie Challenge, Maggette hopes to bring the Clippers their second NBA slam-dunk champion. In 1996, Brent Barry won the title while wearing sweats.

With defending champion Vince Carter and such other notable dunkers as Orlando’s Tracy McGrady, Houston’s Francis and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant skipping this year’s event, Maggette has a solid chance in a wide-open field.

“I have one dunk that I know will definitely get me into the next round,” said Maggette, who won several dunk contests as a high school player. “If I don’t, it is because I missed it.”

Maggette will compete against Seattle’s Desmond Mason, Indiana’s Jonathan Bender, Utah’s DeShawn Stevenson, Vancouver’s Stromile Swift and Charlotte’s Davis. Maggette plans to have either Miles or Richardson help him with at least one dunk, but he is not sure of too much more.

“I really do not know exactly what order I am going to do them in,” he said of his dunks. “I will probably make them up as I go along. I know which ones I am going to do, just not sure of the order. . . . I want to do some crazy stuff to bring the house down.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

50th NBA All-Star Game

Schedule

All events at the MCI Center, Washington D.C.

Today, 1 p.m.: Rookie Challenge, TNT.

Today, 5-8 p.m.: 2ball competition; Long-distance shootout; Slam-dunk contest, TNT.

Sunday, 3 p.m.: All-Star Game, Channel 4.

Clipper Involvement

Slam-Dunk participants: Jonathan Bender (Indiana), Baron Davis (Charlotte), Corey Maggette (Clippers), Desmond Mason (Seattle), DeShawn Stevenson (Utah), Stromile Swift (Vancouver).

Rookie Challenge participants:

Rookies

Mateen Cleaves (Detroit)

Khalid El-Amin (Chicago)

Marc Jackson (Golden State)

Stephen Jackson (New Jersey)

Kenyon Martin (New Jersey)

Darius Miles (Clippers)

Mike Miller (Orlando)

Morris Peterson (Toronto)

Quentin Richardson (Clippers)

Sophomores