Pulling Off This Deal Would Be an Act of Magic

Brian Schmitz in the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel: “If there’s ever an opening again, and if Shaquille O’Neal wants to leave Los Angeles--be it sooner or later--the Magic should try everything under the sun to make that happen.

“And they should throw in the sun and any other planets and constellations.

“This time the Magic would do just that--even if they had to part with Grant Hill, Darrell Armstrong, Bo Outlaw and Doc Rivers’ first-born son to clear cap room or make it work in a trade. They should do whatever it takes to team Shaq with Shaq’s favorite young player, Tracy McGrady.”

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Trivia time: Which men’s basketball player holds the Pacific 10 record for scoring average in conference games?

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Are they hiding? “I’d like to take a moment out here to celebrate rookie Cavalier center Chris Mihm,” says Norman Chad in his weekly column for America Online.

“The 7-footer has played 364 minutes this season with no assists. In his defense, if you take a closer look at the Cavaliers, NO ONE IS OPEN.”

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Van Grumpy: Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News, writing on the Denver Nuggets’ 96-77 rout of the New York Knicks on Tuesday:

“ ‘They ran us out of the gym,’ said Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy, the glum little wart who always seems as if he is looking for a coffin to carry. . . .

“Van Gundy carries his indignation like a meter maid upset because she’s been beaten out by a driver with a fresh quarter in his hand.”

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Hull of a player: Brett Hull of the Dallas Stars is not going quietly into the twilight of his NHL career, saying to the Dallas Morning News:

“I’m 36 and better than 20-year-olds. What does [age] matter? You can’t be as good as you were? I’m that much smarter with experience and savvy. Why, because I’m old does it mean that I can’t be good?

“That’s the problem with this league. Too many people think that way. ‘Look how old he is.’ Well, look how young he is, and he’s horrible.”

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Life will go on: Art Thiel in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “While the good hoops fans of Vancouver--all two dozen of them--are dismayed over the news that the NBA will allow the team to relocate to the U.S., the guess here is that Vancouver will survive the expected departure of the Grizzlies after this season.

“Much as Los Angeles, without the NFL, has not fallen into the La Brea tar pits, neither will one of the most delightful, cosmopolitan cities in the world turn to ice fishing when the NBA slinks out of town.”

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Yum, yum: Golfer Davis Love III credits his recent success--victories in the Williams World Challenge and Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a sudden-death near-win at the Buick Invitational--to a change in his diet that includes a nutritious treat called--no kidding--a Caddy Bar.

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Trivia answer: Reggie Miller of UCLA, 27.8 points in 1986.

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And finally: New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter will make more money next season ($11 million) than Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra made in their careers.