IT MUST HAVE occurred to the Utah Jazz and L.A. Lakers way back last fall that they would meet in the playoffs. They had to be thinking of that when they started the season behaving like rowdy teenagers. So now it's here, and as they say in Hollywood, it's time to take a meeting.
When the teams play Saturday in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, they get to decide what, if anything, they should do about the past year's differences. If the Jazz don't like Shaq using Greg Ostertag's head for a speed bag, or the Lakers dislike Greg Foster making throat-slashing gestures, now's the time to do something about it.The Jazz-Lakers series isn't the most intense in the league, but it's trying to be. It's been picking up steam as it goes. In the early years the Jazz were slightly suspicious of the Lakers - and with good reason. In 1976, for example, the Jazz obtained Gail Goodrich from L.A. in exchange for their 1979 first-round draft pick. It seemed like a good idea, considering Goodrich was a five-time All-Star, until 1979 arrived and their erstwhile draft pick turned out to be Magic Johnson. Ouch.
Already the Lakers were slapping the Jazz around.
As time passed, it seemed the Lakers were always making news of some kind while in Salt Lake. In 1981 the Lakers beat the Jazz in the Salt Palace, 113-110, after which Magic fired his coach, Paul Westhead. If you couldn't beat Utah by more than three you deserved what you got.
By 1984 the Jazz were thinking of relocating to Las Vegas. They played the Lakers before a sellout crowd at the Thomas and Mack Center, only to discover all the cheers were for the Lakers. Fans had come to watch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar break the all-time scoring record, not the Jazz. Not surprisingly, the Jazz scrapped their plan to move.
One thing you could always say about the Lakers: They had star-power. Abdul-Jabbar stopped by Salt Lake in 1989 during his league-wide retirement tour. The Jazz decided to give a special farewell gift - a Browning rifle and a pair of custom cowboy boots - to the 7-foot-2 basketball legend, who grew up in New York and lived in L.A. It was a great idea until the Jazz handed him the gifts, and Kareem looked as if he'd been handed a bucket of manure. Then again, Kareem had that look a lot.
In 1988, when L.A. coach Pat Riley was at his slicked-back best, Jazz coach Frank Layden brought a large comb to a playoff game and began combing his hair, mimicking Riley. Two games later, though, the Lakers got in some jibes of their own. Jazz guard Bobby Hansen, frustrated at being whistled for a foul while guarding Magic Johnson, complained to referee Jake O'Donnell, "I'm just a working man. I'm not a million-dollar player."
Said Magic as he stepped to the free throw line: "Three million."
Salt Lake was also the scene of one of the most stunning stories in sports history. Johnson was in Salt Lake awaiting a 1991 exhibition game when he received a phone call telling him to return to L.A. Upon arrival he was informed he was HIV-positive. In the aftermath, Karl Malone voiced reservations about playing against Johnson. Ever since, when Malone comes to L.A. they boo him as if he were the Hillside Strangler.
Jazz owner Larry H. Miller has had his own run-ins with the Lakers. In 1994 Miller threatened to take apart L.A.'s Elden Campbell after Campbell whacked John Stockton with an elbow. The player and the owner stood face-to-face on the court. Though nothing came of the exchange, it marked what nearly became the only owner-player boxing match in league history.
Woofing and posturing has become a regular part of this rivalry. Last spring when the Jazz eliminated the Lakers in the conference semifinals, Shaquille O'Neal got to be the villain. He complained about the Jazz's illegal defense and dirty play. He smirked at Ostertag. For their part, Jazz fans booed O'Neal when he touched the ball and cheered madly when he missed a free throw. He left town with most of the city adding adjectives to his name.
But all the aforementioned drama was just a precursor to this season. As the teams passed during the shoot-around on opening day, O'Neal slapped Ostertag. In a later game, Foster taunted the Lakers by making a slashing motion across his throat as he passed the L.A. bench. Lakers' coach Del Harris declared Foster unworthy to taunt anyone.
So now the two teams get another chance to make more history. Which is good news any way you look at it. Because if they've proven anything over the years, it's that their games may not always be interesting - but their history is.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The series
The West
Conference finals
Game 1 Los Angeles
Sat. at UTAH
TV TIME: NBC, 1:30 p.m.
Game 2 Los Angeles
Monday at UTAH
TV TIME: TNT, KJZZ, 6:30 p.m.
Game 3 UTAH at
May 22 Los Angeles
TV TIME: TNT, KJZZ, 8:00 p.m.
Game 4 UTAH at
May 24 Los Angeles
TV TIME: NBC, 1:30 p.m.
If necessary
Game 5 Los Angeles
May 26 at UTAH
TV TIME: NBC, 7:00 p.m.
If necessary
Game 6 UTAH at
May 29 Los Angeles
TV TIME: To be announced
If necessary
Game 7 Los Angeles
May 31 at UTAH
TV TIME: To be announced