Need a Job? Then the NBA on NBC Is the Place to Be

Michael is coming back.

Charles is coming back.

You knew this was coming, it was only a matter of time, so with about five minutes left in the first half of Sunday’s playoff game between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, Magic Johnson let it be known on national television:

He’s interested in a return to the NBA too.

“Michael’s got me kind of wanting to come back,” Johnson told NBC’s Jim Gray, “but not as a player. I’m too old for that.”

Johnson laughed, but he was serious about throwing his name into the coaching candidate hopper.

“I love the game,” Johnson continued, “and I want maybe to be more involved in basketball. So I might go back to coaching, in the right situation. Or running a team, one or the other. Because we all want to be in this beautiful game--especially now in the playoffs, where all the best teams are playing and . . . you get to watch Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, those guys. So, yeah, I would definitely consider coaching right now.”

And why not? Charlotte, Toronto and Milwaukee composing 75% of the Eastern Conference final four? Dallas and Sacramento advancing to the Western Conference semifinals? The NBA has seen the future of professional basketball and is seriously considering becoming an ‘80s oldies station.

Washington, which would prefer rewinding its NBA clock all the way back to the 1970s, is readying for the return of Jordan and Barkley and, if that goes reasonably well, John Riggins soon could be in pads at a Redskin mini-camp. But what about Johnson Where does he land?

Gray mentioned a too-obvious possibility: Detroit, Johnson’s old stamping grounds, where the Pistons have an opening.

Johnson laughed again.

“I think that would probably be the most difficult job for me,” he replied. “Because I [would be] at home and all the pressure of being at home. But it’s a great city to coach in. You’ve got [Jerry] Stackhouse sitting there. So you might take a look at that, yeah.”

Your move, Pistons.

“Magic is one of those guys who can do whatever he wants,” said analyst Bill Walton . . . and, shall we start lining up a downtown hotel ballroom for the news conference?

And will NBC be getting a finder’s fee?

That’s some job search engine: National television, with every mover and shaker in the industry tuning in.

Looking for a coach? Maybe a general manager?

Don’t leave that couch. NBC will find one for you.

At halftime, NBC nominated one of its own, studio analyst P.J. Carlesimo, to be the new coach in Miami, except right now, Miami doesn’t have a coaching vacancy.

That didn’t stop Carlesimo’s partner, Kevin Johnson, from running the idea up the flagpole.

“The question comes down to: Is Pat Riley going to coach this team and be president [of the Heat] or do one or the other?” Johnson said. “We have a guy here that might be able to do a pretty decent job in Miami if he gets a shot.”

As he said this, Johnson looked at Carlesimo, beaming, and soon KJ and P.J. were slapping hands.

“I’ll be the president,” Carlesimo decided. “Pat Riley is a great coach. [Stepping aside] would be the biggest mistake he could make. He’s a great coach.”

Welcome to You Scratch My Back, I’ll Shill For You. Moments earlier, after listening to Milwaukee’s Sam Cassell happily discuss the Bucks’ Game 1 victory over Charlotte, Carlesimo had attributed Cassell’s joyful mood to the fact that “he’s not guarding Kevin Johnson. Baron Davis is a handful. But he’s no KJ.”

KJ, of course, felt he owed P.J. one. So, Riles, if you’re listening out there, and we know you are. . . .

All this blatant job-jockeying got play-by-play announcer Mike Breen musing about Walton throwing his hat into the ring next.

“Yeah, he’s talking about it,” said NBC’s third man at courtside, Steve Jones, “but no one will take him seriously.”

Just a guess here: I’m thinking Walton would be something less than the quintessential players’ coach.

Walton’s relentless second-, third- and fourth-guessing of individual player performance can be amusing entertainment if you’re a casual viewer, more annoying if the player under the hammer plays for your team, and a fuming speed-dial phone call to your agent if you happen to be the player in the center of the bull’s-eye.

Sunday, Sacramento backup center Scott Pollard was Walton’s unfortunate target. Shaquille O’Neal was on his way to a 44-point, 21-rebound romp through Staples Center, and to Walton’s way of thinking, someone had to be held responsible.

Jones: “You have been pounding Scot Pollard.”

Walton: “I’m just reporting the facts.”

Jones: “You know, you’re playing against one of the most dominant guys in the league, he’s just overpowering you . . . Look at this guy. [Pollard] is just worn down. He’s looks like a guy that’s taken about 15 rounds of body blows.”

Walton: “You’re acting as if [O’Neal] is the first guy that’s ever been really good. That’s ever scored 40 points.”

Jones: “You know, when you had those 300-pounders laying all over you, you know what you called for? ‘Luke! Luke! Gimme some help!’ ”

At that, Walton finally had to laugh.

“Where is Maurice Lucas when you need him?” Walton wanted to know.

Incorrigible, this NBC NBA crew. Always trying to scrounge up an old player some work.