It Was All About Helping Kobe Climb Another Hill

Most sports fans know Jim Hill because of his Beverly Hills suits, fine work as a KCBS broadcaster and the fact he shows up at more sporting events in the greater Los Angeles area than anyone else holding a microphone.

I know Jim Hill as a former professional football player, of course, because every time I see him he tells me he was a former professional football player. I’d rather sit beside Fox’s Lisa Guerrero and hear what she has to say about professional football players, but she just doesn’t go to as many sporting events as Hill -- and I can tell you I pay pretty close attention to that.

At the start of Tuesday night’s basketball game between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets, I was stuck beside Hill again, and after he reminded me he was once a professional football player, he said it’s his experience a great athlete such as Kobe Bryant will elevate his game when he spots another great athlete in the crowd.

Initially I thought he was talking about himself, and I tried not to laugh. Then I spotted Fox’s Jack Haley, and I laughed.

*

NOW OBVIOUSLY Hill had someone else in mind, and so while I ordinarily take a good look around Staples Center before every game just in case Salma Hayek is there, this time I didn’t eliminate all the men in the building.

Michael Clark Duncan, currently starring in “Daredevil,” was in attendance, and while he looks more like an athlete than Hill, the former professional football player, I don’t believe that’s the case. I know Duncan also was in “The Green Mile,” which might have accounted for the miracle of Mark Madsen scoring nine points, but that wouldn’t have anything to do with Kobe.

Someone had inspired Kobe, though, as he soared over Yao Ming at one point for maybe the slam-dunk highlight of the year.

Andy Garcia? I know he fires up the wife -- and I’m not complaining because it has its upside -- but unless he’s sitting on a telephone book there’s no way Kobe could have spotted the shrimp in the crowd.

That left Bob Arum, and I noticed Kobe was limping now and still scoring big points, so I sought out Arum to find out if he was the athlete responsible for inspiring Kobe to push the Lakers as far as his aching ankle and knee would allow him.

“I think it’s pretty well known that I’ve taught Andre Agassi everything he knows about tennis,” Arum said, and while I can’t imagine a boxing promoter telling me anything but the truth, I’m not sure a tennis player would inspire Kobe to do anything extraordinary.

And if that’s the case, I know darn well a golfer wouldn’t do much for the best basketball player in the game right now, although it was interesting to note that Tiger Woods and his girlfriend somehow got courtside seats for the big game.

I just wish I knew who motivated Kobe. I’d make sure to introduce him to Shaq.

*

THE CALL came from someone in the know at Riviera informing me that an “adjustment” had to be made in the final score for Jose Canseco’s team in the Nissan Open Celebrity-Am on Saturday, and instead of finishing at minus-12 as I reported here Sunday, the team finished at minus-11. A short time later I heard Canseco had been sent to jail, which seemed rather harsh for adding incorrectly or putting down the wrong score.

Later I learned a Florida judge had tossed him in jail for violating probation, which included playing golf in L.A. a day after an arrest warrant had been issued for him. The judge will rule on Canseco’s probation violation March 17; the judge sentenced another probation violator Tuesday to 366 days in jail. If Canseco gets the same treatment, there will be a celebrity opening in next year’s Nissan Open.

*

THE DODGERS put out a press release indicating Manager Jim Tracy addressed his team, “placing the focus on capturing the club’s first NL West Championship since 1995.” The release did not indicate how many players laughed out loud.

*

IT’S A good thing Kevin Brown did report late to the Dodgers’ spring training facility because knowing his mentality, as soon as that pitching machine threw at Andy Ashby’s head the other day, he would have undoubtedly tried to retaliate. And probably have hurt his arm again.

*

BROWN SHOWED up for spring training Tuesday. The Dodgers still owe him $45 million so I had a pretty good idea we’d eventually see him. Nothing has changed, of course. Mr. Grumpy remains clueless, unable to grasp the significance some might put on his early arrival and what it might mean for providing hope for a better season ahead for the Dodgers. Can’t wait until he gets to L.A. and starts swearing at everyone again.

*

DARREN DREIFORT has taken the early and commanding lead for most ridiculous quote of the year: “If Nolan Ryan showed up six days late, think anybody would have a problem with it?” he said. “Think they would tell him about it?”

Putting Ryan in the same context with Brown is dumbfounding.

*

THE AP’S fine golf writer, Doug Ferguson, reported the Palms sports book in Las Vegas has set odds at 3 1/2 to 1 that Annika Sorenstam makes the cut at the the Colonial. Don’t throw away your money.

*

I CAUGHT the Fox promo for Thursday’s “exclusive” Michael Jackson interview and the promise: “The footage you were never meant to see.” That’s how I feel about most Fox shows.

*

TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Ed Eldridge:

“You wrote about a six-year-old golfer. Leave the milk and cookie news for others. If you are being forced to attend anger management classes, stop going.”

Hey, buster, that little twerp would kick your butt on the links.

*

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.