Sterling Has No Reservations About Kareem

Peter Vecsey of the New York Post writing--with tongue in cheek--on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becoming an assistant coach with the Clippers:

“Last I heard, Kareem was working as a volunteer coach on an Indian reservation in Arizona. His salary was $1.

“Following an arduous negotiation, Paper Clips owner Donald Sterling signed Kareem only after he agreed to take a pay cut.

“With Kareem on board, Sterling thinks the Paper Clips now have the inside track on signing all Native American free agents.”

*

Trivia time: What is the men’s NCAA Division I basketball record for the most points scored by a losing team?

*

And the winner is . . . : Bill Lyon in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “The TV ratings for the NBA All-Star game were down 35%. The ratings for the Buick Invitational, where Tiger Woods’ streak was stopped, were up 25%.

“And, in what should be no surprise at all, the ratings for figure skating--specifically, the women’s U.S. championship finale--outdrew both hoops and golf.

“The hand that rocks the cradle not only rules the world, she controls the remote when it counts.”

*

The new Nick: Mark Kiszla in the Denver Post: “If Nugget point guard Nick Van Exel isn’t careful, this town is going to fall in love with him.

“A man once known throughout the NBA as nothing but trouble is growing into a genuine Denver sports hero.”

*

Good riddance: Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times comparing the departures of Ken Griffey Jr. to the Cincinnati Reds and Joey Galloway to the Dallas Cowboys:

“Griffey was like losing a piece of the city. Losing Galloway was like losing an abscessed tooth.”

*

A long haul: Cleveland Cavalier guard Bob Sura, after playing his first game in three weeks Monday night, an overtime victory against Vancouver:

“I felt like a Chevy Blazer trying to win the Indianapolis 500.”

*

Looking back: On this day in 1978, Kevin Porter of the New Jersey Nets set an NBA record for assists in a game with 29 against the Houston Rockets.

His record lasted 12 years until Scott Skiles of the Orlando Magic got 30 against Denver.

*

Trivia answer: 150, by U.S. International in a 181-150 loss to Loyola Marymount on Jan. 31, 1989.

*

And finally: Dave Kindred in the Sporting News on Deion Sanders’ impact with the Cincinnati Reds:

“Let’s say Sanders were 28 again. Let’s say he knew a ball from a strike. Let’s say he moved on a baseball field with a tenth of the instinctive grace that makes him such a wonderful football player. Then his presence at the top of a lineup including Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr., Dante Bichette and Sean Casey would make the Reds a formidable offensive machine.

“Alas, at 32 it’s too late for Sanders to learn what Junior knew at 8 without knowing he knew it.”