The NBA : How Far Would Lakers’ Stock Rise If They Bought the Boston Celtics?

Los Angeles stockbroker Girish Nautiyal has approached the Lakers with a novel suggestion: If you can’t beat the Boston Celtics, why not own them?

Nautiyal, a broker for Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co., recently stopped by the Forum and dropped off copies of the prospectus pertaining to the sale of stock in the Celtics.

He asked Bob Steiner, director of public relations for California Sports, to distribute them to the Laker players.

“I thought the players would be most interested,” said Nautiyal, who also distributed copies to the Rams.

Nautiyal describes himself as a casual sports fan. “I’ll go drink a beer and have fun,” he said, “but I’m more a crossword puzzle-type person.”

Steiner hasn’t passed on the proposals yet. “I don’t know what to do with them,” he said. “I wonder if it’s legal.”

Can a player on one NBA team be part-owner of another team?

“Players can purchase shares in publicly traded stock,” said Brian McIntyre, the league’s publicity director.

“The Lakers could buy shares of the Celtics, since they’re publicly traded, but the Celtics couldn’t buy into the Lakers.

“But for a player to buy 5% or more interest in a team requires the approval of the NBA’s Board of Governors.”

Steiner said he mentioned the stock offer to Laker owner Jerry Buss in passing.

“He just smiled,” Steiner said.

So would Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, if he could buy enough shares to order Robert Parish and Kevin McHale to go play in Italy.

They must have gotten lost on the freeway: Golden State Warrior Coach George Karl was annoyed at the fan support the Lakers got in Oakland last Thursday, during the Warriors’ 116-106 win.

“I love sellouts,” Karl said. “I just wish somebody would grab some of the Laker fans and choke them. That’s annoying. We’ve got 2,000 or 3,000 people yelling for the Lakers. Why don’t they move to L.A.?”

Houston’s 56-point loss--136-80--to the Seattle SuperSonics Saturday night in the Summit was not only the Rockets’ worst defeat in their 20-year history but also the worst NBA home-court loss ever.

With 3 minutes 53 seconds to play and the Rockets trailing, 125-74, Houston Coach Bill Fitch put starters Ralph Sampson, Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen back into the game. The Sonic reserves outscored them, 11-6, the rest of the way.

“I’ve been in the league 18 years and I’ve never felt so helpless,” Fitch said afterward.

Add Rockets: Playing without injured center Akeem Olajuwon, who has a sprained knee, the Rockets have been held under 100 points for six straight games and in eight of their last nine. The Rockets, who averaged 114.4 points a game last season, were held under 100 only six times in 1985-86.

At halftime Saturday, Tom Chambers, and Dale Ellis of the SuperSonics, with 24 and 18 points, respectively, had as many points as the Rockets--42.

More Rockets: Why are the Rockets 7-10 so far? The Twin Towers, Olajuwon and Sampson, have played only five halves together this season.

But just as devastating has been the absence of an effective point guard. John Lucas is making speeches against drug abuse, the problem that cost him his career. Allan Leavell was waived, and Robert Reid has had a sore knee since the first day of training camp.

Monday, Reid underwent arthroscopic surgery, and the Rockets signed Dirk Minniefield, a bench-warmer in Cleveland.

Olajuwon, incidentally, is expected back Wednesday.

Sometimes, the best shots are ones that don’t count. New York Knick guard Trent Tucker, who missed two three-point attempts in the final 12 seconds of overtime in New York’s 107-104 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night, threw the ball in disgust at the backboard after the buzzer.

The ball banked off the glass and into the basket.

If Larry Bird is 30, can Magic Johnson be far behind? The Boston Celtic star, who turned 30 Sunday, is two years and eight months older than Magic, the Laker star who entered the league in the same season.

At practice Monday, the Celtics wheeled out a cake for Bird, with a mock card supposedly signed by Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers.

EIGHT BIGGEST BLOWOUTS IN NBA HISTORY

Pts Teams/Score Date 63 Lakers 162, Golden State 99 March 19, 1972 62 Syracuse 162, New York 100 Dec. 25, 1960 59 Golden State 150, Indiana 91 March 19, 1977 59 Milwaukee 143, Detroit 84 Dec. 26, 1978 56 Lakers 144, Detroit 88 Nov. 12, 1966 56 Chicago 130, Portland 74 Feb. 20, 1976 56 Milwaukee 158, New Orleans 102 March 14, 1979 56 Seattle 136, Houston 80 Dec. 6, 1986

Note: Winners all played on their home courts, except for Seattle.