LOS ANGELES -- First it was 7-foot-1, Yugoslavian-born Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings. Then it was a guy used to ducking from a land down under, 7-2 Australian Luc Longley of the Phoenix Suns. Following them was Portland Trail Blazer Arvydas Sabonis, a Lithuanian who stands 7-3.
Now it is up to a 7-4 giant known as the Dunkin' Dutchman to try to do what no one else in that United Nations-sounding coalition of big guys could: Find a way to shut down America's most-visible member of the 7-foot club, newly crowned NBA MVP Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers.Indiana's Rik Smits, who hails from Holland, has the unenviable task of dealing with Shaq in the NBA Finals starting tonight, when the Pacers meet the Lakers in Game 1 at the Staples Center.
Smits knows he has his work cut out.
"It's real tough," he said of guarding O'Neal, who stands 7-1. "You hope to limit his touches and try to keep him away from his favorites spots somehow. If he does get it, double-team him or triple-team him."
The only problem with that strategy is that Pacers coach Larry Bird does not necessarily want to employ more than two defenders on Shaq, and -- at least according to Indiana guard Mark Jackson, who thinks O'Neal will 'get his touches' regardless -- there may be times Bird wants to try to get it done with one.
That one will be Smits, who protests that he simply cannot be expected to go at it alone.
"Well, I'm going to need help," Smits said Tuesday. "Nobody in this league can guard him 1-on-1, so we're going to need help."
The primary reason is that O'Neal utilizes not only his height but also his ample weight -- 300-plus (many more) pounds -- to dominate all comers, including previous-round starting playoff pivots Divac, Longley and Sabonis.
"He's such a strong guy, and he does such a good job getting position," said Smits, who, with less-than-stellar results, has played O'Neal often. "Try to beat him early, and you run the risk of picking up an early foul.
"He moves so well. For a guy of his strength and his weight, he uses it very well -- the best of anybody I've seen ever do that. If you get to front him, he's able to catch lobs, and dunk, and spin out of position and still get to the basket somehow."
No one in the world, it seems, knows how. Or at least not how to stop him.
SHORT CELEBRATION: Shaq was last in the Finals in 1995, with Orlando. The Magic didn't win, but O'Neal did learn a valuable lesson.
"We had like 10, 11 days off (between conference finals and the NBA Finals)," he said, "and we just kind of lost focus, messing around, joking around."
Not this time.
The Lakers did not clinch their Finals berth until finishing off Portland on Sunday, leaving precious little opportunity for tomfoolery.
"We had a day-and-a-half to celebrate," O'Neal said. "Now it's back to business."
HI, MOM: This is a homecoming for Pacers star Reggie Miller, who played high school ball in nearby Riverside and college ball at UCLA. Teammate Jackson, however, doesn't think that should make a difference in the way Miller plays.
"We're in the Finals," he said. "If you need extra motivation because you're playing in your hometown, then you've got a problem. That's disrespecting Reggie . . . to think that plays a role."
Jackson doesn't even buy the theory that playing in front of family can spur one to perform better.
"No," he said, "because when you're (isolated) on the wing and Kobe Bryant is standing there with his tongue out, putting it through his legs, Momma can't help you."
BELLEVUE BLUES: Robert Horry of the Lakers has been to the Finals before, winning with Houston in 1994 and 1995. He doesn't plan to use that as an excuse to preach to teammates on how to act in the playoffs.
"There is no need for anybody to say anything," Horry said. "You got a lot of guys who are going to do a lot of hoo-rah. It's just not necessary, because if you don't know what's at stake now, you need to be checked into a mental hospital."
TUNED IN: The Jazz were long ago eliminated from the NBA playoffs, but they're still losing.
Over the weekend, Utah lost claim to playing in the NBA's most-watched Game 7. A series-deciding game between the Jazz and Seattle Sonics in 1996 drew an overnight rating of 13.7, which was topped Sunday when Game 7 between the Lakers and Trail Blazers, according to Nielsen research, drew an overnight of 14.5.
Nielsen's overnight ratings gauge the percentage of TV households in the nation turned to a particular program.
FREE ME: According to a Sacramento newspaper report, Utah-born Kings reserve center Scot Pollard intends to spurn an automatic $1.1 million contract option to play next season in Sacramento and will instead test his worth on the free-agent market.
Why? "He's worth more than he's being paid," agent Jeff Austin told the Sacramento Bee.
JACKSON PROMOTED: The NBA on Tuesday announced that, effective July 1, Basketball Operations Senior Vice President Stu Jackson will assume responsibilities previously held by Rod Thorn, who resigned recently to become president of the New Jersey Nets.
Thorn chaired the league's Competition and Rules Committee, oversaw officiating and imposed discipline for misconduct by players and coaches.
Jackson, who resigned recently as general manager of the Vancouver Grizzlies to join the NBA office in New York, once served under current Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino as an assistant coach on a Providence University staff that also included current Jazz assistant Gordie Chiesa.
E-MAIL: tbuckley@desnews.com