Magic: They’ll Work Things Out

Magic Johnson, whose perspective is five NBA championships and an uneven off-court relationship with fellow superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, met separately with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on Friday in the hopes of smoothing their on-court relationship.

“I just wanted to say, ‘Hey, this is about winning. That’s what this is about. It’s about going out there and playing together and winning,’ ” Johnson said. “These guys are professional. You’ve got two of the best players in this league. They’ll find a way of working it out. They don’t have to be best friends off the court. But they have to play like they’re best friends when they’re on the court. The other players feed off of them on this team.”

Many in the organization hoped last season’s championship healed their relationship, that they had learned to appreciate each other in the name of the title.

“We’re hoping we can get back to understanding that’s still the goal this year too,” Johnson said. “It hasn’t changed any. That is the goal. We all understand that once the playoffs get here you got to have an inside game to win.

“We understand what type of year Shaq had last year. It was one of the most dominant performances in a long time, from start to finish. I’m sure he wants it to be the same, but you can’t underestimate what Kobe’s done thus far. He’s had a terrific year. But, you know, sometimes things take a while to adjust. It’s just like when Coach [Pat] Riley said, ‘It’s your team now.’ I’m sure it took Kareem a while to adjust to it being my team, and that I was going to take more shots than I was before.”

It will pass, Johnson said.

“I’m not worried about it,” he said. “That’s my take on it. I’m not really surprised by anything that happens in basketball, because I was once in this similar situation, in a sense, with Kareem. So, we’ll weather this storm and keep going. We’re two games out of having the best record in the NBA. You know, we can’t lose sight of that.”

*

You just knew Glen Rice would enjoy this.

Banished from the Lakers to New York, Rice couldn’t help but gloat over the O’Neal-Bryant goings-on.

“And they thought it was me,” Rice told reporters in New York.

He also admitted that when the Lakers lose, “it brings a smile to my face.”

“I thought they had nipped that in the bud,” Rice said of the L.A. uproar. “But I guess they didn’t. But that’s their problem. I’m not there to deal with that. I’m just a spectator shaking my head at it like everyone else.

“I don’t understand why it’s got to be one guy’s team. This can’t do anything but tear a team apart.”

TONIGHT

at Utah

6, Channel 9

* Site--Delta Center

* Radio--KLAC (570)

* Records--Lakers 24-11, Jazz 22-13.

* Record vs. Jazz--1-1.

* Update--When the Lakers beat Utah, 82-71, on Jan. 3, everyone was pleased that the Laker defense had finally come around. Four nights later, the Lakers lost, 118-95, to the Clippers, and the defense was gone again. Bryon Russell, averaging 15.4 points for the Jazz, has a sprained right ankle and is doubtful.