Magic to Be Honored With a Statue at Staples

A bronze statue of Magic Johnson, a Hall of Famer who won five NBA championships in the 1980s with the Lakers, will be placed at Staples Center during this season, according to league and team sources.

Crafted by the artist who made the statues of Michael Jordan in Chicago and of Johnson for Michigan State, Johnson’s Los Angeles statue is expected to be unveiled in front of the arena, not far from the likeness of Wayne Gretzky along Chick Hearn Court.

The Lakers retired Johnson’s number in 1992 and four years later he was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Johnson serves the team as vice president and owns about 5% of the franchise.

The team commissioned the statue, the first project of its kind for the organization.

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It’s all lost on Phil Jackson, too, truth be told.

The Lakers of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, of Karl Malone and Gary Payton, of all of them together in one very intriguing, searing season -- with Bryant fighting a rape accusation -- will be impossible to define until it actually happens.

Whatever it is. Count Jackson among the curious.

“You can’t project what’s coming down an 82-game season,” he said Friday night. “It’s just a road that’s totally uncharted.

“This one is filled with all kinds of things that could go on and a whole lot of suspicions and hopes. We could be anything from a team that could win 65, 70 games to a team that could implode in some ways. I don’t think we will, but that’s my optimistic viewpoint. But it’s a team that’s got a really big upside to it, so it’s a really big challenge to us.”

To Malone, normality is coming.

“Every time I see this young man beside me,” he said, crooking a thumb to O’Neal, “makes it a lot better.”

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Twenty-four hours after his exhibition debut, Bryant tried it again, joined the now familiar O’Neal-Malone-Payton threesome, this time against the Sacramento Kings at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Devean George sat out because of a sprained left ankle, so Bryon Russell started alongside the big four in what could be the Lakers’ best defensive lineup.

The Lakers lost to the Kings, 93-87, as Peja Stojakovic scored 18 points. O’Neal lead all scorers with 19 and had 14 rebounds.

The Lakers went 3-5 in exhibitions, with the regular-season opener Tuesday against Dallas.

Bryant had an early breakaway dunk. Whether by choice or physical limitation, he barely cleared the rim.

“My comfort [with the system] is there,” Bryant said. “My legs just aren’t with it. My legs are just tired.”

He again lacked a reliable jumper but appeared to have some energy after playing 32 minutes against the Clippers on Thursday night. Bryant played 23 minutes, scored six points and spent the fourth quarter on the bench, his sneakers untied.

Still creaky after a summer away from the game and two surgeries, he made four of 14 field-goal attempts against the Clippers and missed seven of his 10 shots against the Kings.

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After the Lakers were outrebounded by eight a game in their first seven exhibitions, Jackson asked for more, and the Lakers outrebounded the Kings, 45-41. ... Slava Medvedenko sat out his second game because of a bruised left heel. ... Jamal Sampson, who has suffered from back spasms, remained in Los Angeles. ... Jackson is receiving treatment for gout in his left foot.