This Was Laughing Matter

Rather than have his Lakers loll in their hotel rooms -- or wherever -- on a Thursday night here, Phil Jackson piled them all in a bus, took them to dinner and then to a comedy show.

Evoking memories of when he took his Chicago Bulls on a ferry ride to Staten Island during a second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks in 1994, Jackson said, “It seemed appropriate, like the right time to do something. We rarely have a full afternoon in Sacramento. It seemed like the kind of activity that would lighten the load of being in Sacramento for that time.”

The Lakers are in the midst of a rather sobering season, and perhaps Jackson felt the need to lessen the grind.

“I think sometimes we forget to laugh,” assistant coach Jim Cleamons said. “You know, there’s a lot at stake here. It was cool.”

The team stuck around for three comedians and was back at the downtown hotel by 10:30 p.m.

“It’s not the hanging together so much as lightening the attitude and atmosphere around the team,” Jackson said.

While they are loathe to give up off nights anywhere, the Lakers seemed pleased with the surprise outing. Jackson had only instructed them to keep the night free.

“He’s great at that, changing up the rhythm,” Mark Madsen said. “Sometimes you need to break up the routine and do something totally new.”

*

According to industry insiders, Kobe Bryant is drawing closer to choosing his next shoe company after half a season splitting his footwear primarily between Nike and Reebok, along with the occasional Converse and Fila.

Nike and Reebok have long been known as the front-runners. The lure of Reebok, which does not have the NBA cache that Nike does but might allow Bryant more control, might prove persuasive.

Still, there are those who believe Bryant, who formerly was with Adidas, would not be the lead NBA athlete for Reebok, which already has Allen Iverson, Baron Davis, Steve Francis and Kenyon Martin, among others.

TONIGHT

vs. Utah, 7:30, FSN

Site -- Staples Center

Radio -- KLAC (570), KWKW (1330), KIRN (670)

Records -- Lakers 21-23, Jazz 28-18.

Record vs. Jazz -- 1-1.

Update -- The Jazz is without Coach Jerry Sloan, who was suspended for seven games for shoving a referee Tuesday night in Sacramento, but Utah is 2-0 under Phil Johnson after Friday night’s victory over Golden State. The Jazz has won seven of its last 10 games and 16 of 22. Matt Harpring, a summer free-agent signing playing for his fourth team in four years, is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 50.7% from the floor. John Stockton, at 40, is averaging 28 minutes.