O’Neal Doesn’t Mind Fraternizing With Enemy

NBA players always share a union and often share an agent and, sometimes, share a ride from Seattle to Portland, and still it is odd to see an opposing player in the home locker room, where Tyson Chandler was Friday night.

Chandler, the 20-year-old Chicago Bull who’d pulled on Superman’s cape and then woofed at him in a 13-point loss to the Lakers, walked into a back room, chatted with Shaquille O’Neal and left with a grin on his face.

O’Neal and Chandler, introduced years ago by Lester Conner, became friendly when Chandler was at Dominguez High. So Chandler showed up not to apologize for taunting O’Neal, but to catch up, and there were no hard feelings.

“I think he’s stronger than last year -- seriously,” Chandler said. “I think he lifted weights the whole time he was out because it was just a joke going up against him.

“He’s the best player in the NBA, the most dominant for sure.”

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When the Lakers won 58 games and won their third consecutive title last season, O’Neal and Kobe Bryant combined to shoot 51.7% and everyone else combined to shoot 42.1%.

Through 13 games this season, with O’Neal missing the first 12 games and Bryant taking a lot of difficult shots, those two had combined to make 43%, the rest 37.2%.

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The Lakers leave today on a three-game trip through Miami, Orlando and Memphis. They’ll spend Thanksgiving Day at O’Neal’s place in Orlando, eating his turkey.... Samaki Walker suffered a strained lower back during Sunday night’s game against Milwaukee and is questionable for the Miami game. As the Lakers mull a possible roster move to bring Mark Madsen off the injured list, Walker received treatment late Sunday and was to have the same today.