Los Angeles Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his NBA career -- a big reason why a spot is now reserved for his image in bronze outside Staples Center. On Nov. 16, it will become the sixth artwork in an extremely popular array of sports statuary at the venue. The unveiling announced Thursday by the Los Angeles Lakers, who co-commissioned the piece with Staples Center, means another score for the Rottblatt-Amrany studio of Highwood, Ill., which created the three statues of Lakers greats already on the plaza.

After reading in your interview with Phil Jackson about his plans to bring back so many Chicago players, it looks as if the Lakers will be the Recycle-a-Bulls. MARY DRUMMOND, Glendale Memo to Phil Jackson: Tex Winter's triangle offense was very impressive with Michael Jordan. It wasn't very impressive without Jordan. In case you haven't noticed, Michael Jordan is not a Laker. He's not even a Bull. If he were still a Bull, you wouldn't be a Laker. RON TRIMBLE, Lakewood No disrespect to Phil Jackson, but the last thing the Lakers need is a bunch of ex-Chicago Bulls turning the Staples Center into the United Center West.

What? You were expecting scintillating competition? That ended Sunday night in Sacramento, with Chris Webber deferring, Doug Christie missing and Peja Stojakovic coming up empty.

Mayor Tom Bradley, lawyer Warren Christopher and Urban League President John Mack joined other government and civic leaders Saturday to open the South-Central Los Angeles headquarters of the campaign for greater civilian oversight of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles executives playing Santa Claus sent a jet Tuesday to Saudi Arabia carrying gifts they thought U.S. troops need in the desert: designer sunglasses, expensive cologne, toy cars and moisturizer. Troops watching the products being loaded onto trucks from a cargo plane seemed a bit perplexed. Gucci sunglasses? "That's outta there. Pilots wear Ray-Bans," said Capt. Rick Allison, 29, of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., who is with the 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron.

No arrival was more anxiously awaited, or more enthusiastically received, than that of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. The long-imprisoned South African, on an eight-city tour of the U.S., addressed thousands on the steps of City Hall and at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. When USC trustees said they were engaged in a nationwide search for a new president, they meant it. Geographically speaking, they couldn't have gone much further than to select Steven B.

Trent Tucker scored 10 of his 18 points during a fourth-quarter comeback and Patrick Ewing had 28 points, leading the New York Knicks to a 125-119 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA exhibition game Tuesday night. The Knicks trailed by as many as 19 points and didn't lead at any point of the first three quarters, then outscored the Lakers, 40-27, in the final period. Mark Jackson added 27 points and 10 assists for the Knicks and was 9 for 11 from the field.

"It's over," said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Playoffs, season and career all ended at once Tuesday night for the Los Angeles Lakers star who played professional basketball longer than anyone else ever had. His skyhook was a thing of beauty and his scoring records may be a joy forever. Born in Harlem, he made championships his way of life. Starting life as Lew Alcindor, he played on a Power Memorial High School team in New York City that won the national championship two years in a row. His freshman team at UCLA was undefeated.

The Los Angeles Lakers will parade today to City Hall, where they will tower over Mayor Tom Bradley--no easy accomplishment in itself--and then spend their summer savoring the world championship that they wrung from the Boston Celtics on Sunday. Their fans will content themselves with a summer of tall tales, the only fitting kind for a sport in which your average player is mere inches short of 7 feet.