Wilt Got Back at the New Kid on the Block

Besides his long reach and the long shadow he cast over the rest of the NBA, Wilt Chamberlain also had a long memory, according to onetime playing rival Phil Jackson.

“I broke into the league the year Wilt decided that he was going to lead the NBA in assists, and did so averaging a career low in points scored,” Jackson wrote in an e-mail to The Times’ Bill Dwyre. “The 76ers were a powerhouse and Wilt did not need to do the scoring....

“One time when guarding their power forward, Luke Jackson, on a baseline cut, I timed one of Wilt’s favorite offensive moves, the finger roll, and blocked his shot. He never forgot that and made it a point to block my shots for the next umpteen games.”

Jackson described Chamberlain as “a gentle man for all the size and power that he possessed, but had a great deal of pride in his accomplishments. I think Alex Hannum and Bill Sharman reached him as no other coaches had ever done in the NBA -- interestingly they were also teammates at USC and ran the [triangle] offense that gave him a lot of options.”

Trivia time: How many times did Chamberlain lead the NBA in assists?

A funny game: Comedian George Lopez was introduced Tuesday as the host for the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Lopez described himself as an avid golfer, calling the game “the father I never had. It’s been a friend I can always count on. When I couldn’t afford to play golf, I would hit lemons in my backyard.”

Lopez said the funniest thing about golf is “seeing someone who is at the height of their professional career -- it may even be an actor, a singer or a performer -- and have them look like they just found that club and have never held it before. So the vulnerability that it gives you when you try to be cool -- but you’ve put three in the water on 10 at PGA West -- is really what’s funny.”

And England’s dreaming: This year’s U.S. Open draw pairs Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski in the first round. Meaning: England is guaranteed a player in the second round.

There, Henman or Rusedski will probably face Roger Federer. Meaning: England is guaranteed of being out of the tournament before the third round.

Rechargeable: Brett Favre has signed a two-year endorsement deal with Rayovac batteries, with the Green Bay Packers quarterback to be featured in a series of television and print ads starting in October.

Rayovac batteries: They just keep going ... and going ... and then they take time out to think about quitting ... and then they announce they need more time ... and then they keep going ... and going ...

Trivia answer: Once, when he averaged 8.6 assists a game for Philadelphia during the 1967-68 season. He placed third in 1966-67 with a 7.8 average.

And finally: From reader Jack Grimshaw of Orange: “Here’s the scenario: The Houston Texans transfer cornerback Earthwind Moreland to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. End of the season, there’s a video of the team’s most crunching tackles, starring you know who. The title: ‘Earthwind and Fire: Greatest Hits!’ ”