O’Neal Will Get His Jersey ... in a Few Years

Derek Fisher was honored in a warm pregame ceremony when he came to Staples Center with the Golden State Warriors, and the Lakers plan to recognize another member of the three-championship club, Rick Fox, but there is nothing in the works other than a scoreboard highlight video for Shaquille O’Neal’s Dec. 25 return.

Fisher, who signed with Golden State in July after eight seasons with the Lakers, delivered a few words of thanks to fans and was given a framed jersey in his first game against his former teammates, although the Lakers are holding off on officially recognizing O’Neal, even if it takes years.

“Not to belittle the ceremony we did for Derek at all, which was tasteful, meaningful and the appropriate thing to do,” Laker spokesman John Black said. “With Derek, his jersey’s never going to be retired. With Shaq, we won’t do that, because with him we’re going to retire his jersey. We’ll give him his jersey at that time, the same way we did with Magic [Johnson], [James] Worthy and Gail Goodrich.

“That will be a big deal and a big ceremony at that time, which is obviously several years down the road. We’re talking about a whole different league of ceremony, so to speak.”

The Lakers have taken a more private approach to reach out to O’Neal, who has publicly fired away at the franchise numerous times since being traded to the Miami Heat in July.

The Lakers have given O’Neal the use of owner Jerry Buss’ suite for the Jan. 14 Clipper-Miami game. They also sold him 40 tickets at face value for the Dec. 25 game.

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The Lakers did not practice Wednesday, but Kobe Bryant kept busy, appearing on two ESPN shows and offering apologies to O’Neal, among other things.

When asked what he would do if he happened to run into O’Neal, Bryant said he would “apologize for any harm that I brought him and his family.”

“I never intended in any way to mix him into my troubles and difficulties that were going on at the time,” Bryant said on “Pardon the Interruption.” “Things kind of got blown out of proportion and people really ran with that stuff, more so than what really took place. I’d just apologize to him for that.”

Bryant told investigators a day after his sexual encounter with a hotel employee in Colorado that O’Neal paid up to $1 million to women to keep them quiet about “situations like this,” according to a police report.

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The Lakers plan to meet with Karl Malone and his agent, Dwight Manley, after the fallout between Bryant and Malone, which peaked Sunday when Bryant publicly chastised his former teammate.

“[Malone] is a person who’s really been great for this organization,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “For there not to be a gathering of Dr. Buss and Karl and/or myself and Dwight is not the right thing. A lot’s happened in the last 10 days, but there should be a meeting.”

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TONIGHT

at Sacramento, 7:30, TNT

Site -- Arco Arena.

Radio -- KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Lakers 12-9, Kings 15-6.

Record vs. Kings -- 0-1.

Update -- Chris Webber made a three-point basket at the buzzer Tuesday against Milwaukee to give the Kings their 14th victory in 16 games.