Brother! That’s a tough call

A true professional, ABC's Jeff Van Gundy asked management if he should be taken off the network's NBA Finals broadcast team.

He didn't hide the fact that he would be pulling for the Orlando Magic, who are coached by his older brother, Stan Van Gundy, in the best-of-7 series against the Lakers, which opens tonight in Los Angeles. Usually it's a big no-no for a broadcaster to have a rooting interest in what he or she is covering.

ABC, thankfully, decided to stick with Jeff Van Gundy, one of the game's top analysts.

There is no reason to think he won't remain professional, though it will be interesting to see if Van Gundy criticizes any of his brother's moves. If he tries to be unbiased, fans will be understanding -- and maybe even touched -- if Van Gundy shows some emotion should the Magic win the series.

ABC's Bob Griese managed to hide his emotions through an incredible 1997 college football season when his son Brian Griese quarterbacked Michigan to the national title.

But Bob Griese let his guard down after Brian was named Most Valuable Player of the Rose Bowl.

"You want to cry, you go ahead," legendary play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson told him on the air. Bob Griese did just that, turning to hug his wife, Shay, with Jackson saying, "You guys got me crying."

It was a great moment.

Maybe the NBA, which has spent these remarkable playoffs promoting such memories, will have one of its own this series.

• WHAT'S IN A NAME? -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't invent the term "sky hook," but he made the nearly unblockable shot famous throughout a lengthy Hall of Fame career with the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Abdul-Jabbar, now a special assistant for the Lakers, trademarked "sky hook" more than 10 years ago, a fact that became publicly known only recently.

Former Bucks broadcaster Eddie Doucette coined the term during the 1974 Finals between Milwaukee and the Boston Celtics. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he wasn't upset about the trademark because Abdul-Jabbar said he would give proceeds to charity.

Doucette also said he doesn't regret failing to trademark that phrase or any others he came up with.

"I wasn't comfortable with that," Doucette told the newspaper. "It was a part of what I did. We got a lot of mileage out of it."

• HIGH PRICE OF MEDIOCRITY -- If the New York Knicks and New York Rangers won't upgrade their rosters, at least they'll upgrade the building they play in.

Madison Square Garden, built at a cost of $123 million in 1968 and upgraded for $200 million in 1991, will undergo $500 million worth of work by 2012 -- or roughly what the Knicks owe fired coach Isiah Thomas. Included in the upgrade will be a "Super Suite" with a capacity of up to 300 people.

But if the teams don't start playing better to justify what are sure to be higher ticket prices to offset expenses, the place could be emptier than the expensive seats at the new Yankee Stadium.

COMPILED BY MARK ANDERSON LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL