Lakers’ Jackson curbs actor’s enthusiasm

Actor Jonah Hill's agent has Lakers season tickets, courtside seats right next to the home team's bench. Hill gets to sit in them four or five times a season, experiencing the good and the bad that comes with such a prime position.

The good: Being able to chat with Kobe Bryant. Hill told Jimmy Kimmel that Bryant told the actor, " 'I love your movies,' and he started quoting 'Superbad' and stuff. It was mind-blowing for me."

The bad: This can happen when you change seats near the Lakers bench and coach Phil Jackson notices and becomes annoyed.

During one game, Hill recalled, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was filming and the crew asked Hill if they could briefly use his seats. Hill moved two seats over, waited for the film crew to complete its business, then moved back to his original seat.

"All of a sudden," Hill said, "Phil Jackson, who's never looked in our direction, turns and says, 'Hey, this isn't musical chairs! Next time you move around during a play, I'll kick you the (expletive) out of here!'

"It was the most terrible feeling because I look up to this guy so much."

In other words, Jackson was telling Hill to curb his enthusiasm.

• HONEY BUNCHES OF T.O. -- He hasn't played a game for the Buffalo Bills, and the Bills have yet to lose a regular-season game with him in the lineup, so receiver Terrell Owens' love affair with Buffalo, N.Y., continues.

Until recently, Owens' presence could be felt everywhere this side of a supermarket. But now, even the cereal aisle provides no sanctuary from T.O. mania.

Yes, now for sale in Buffalo is a cereal called, of course, T.O.s. The cereal looks like Cheerios and has a honey nut flavor and, well, supply your own punch line here.

• SIGN OF THE TIMES -- Note to NBA players everywhere: Think carefully before you commit your next body part to a new tattoo.

Orlando Magic center Marcin Gortat cost himself a contract with Reebok, and a lot of free shoes, because he has a red Air Jordan tattoo on his calf. During the NBA Finals, Reebok asked Gortat to cover up the Nike ad, but Gortat declined, saying the company didn't care about it when he signed a contract with Reebok.

So the tattoo remains on Gortat's leg. And the free shoes remain at Reebok.

• BREAKING UP THE BUCCOS -- With their trades of second baseman Freddy Sanchez and shortstop Jack Wilson, the Pittsburgh Pirates have completed a full roster overhaul since late 2007, when Neal Huntington took over as general manager.

The moves, predictably, were not well-received by fans, whose team hasn't finished above .500 since 1992.

Responding to fan criticism, Huntington said, "We don't feel like we've broken up the 1927 Yankees."

True, but no Pirates fan was eager to witness the second coming of the 1962 Mets.

• NBA FUNDING? -- From comedy writer Jerry Perisho, after California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said "the good, the bad and the ugly" pretty much described the state budget he signed: "Sounds like he's funding the Lakers, the Warriors and the Clippers."

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL WIRE SERVICES