A Big Date on Lakers’ Calendar

Invitations to the reunion have gone out: Dec. 6 at the Forum, Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers vs. the Orlando Magic. No RSVP needed.

One of the NBA’s most-anticipated games was set along with the rest of the schedule Thursday. It’s a lineup that begins Nov. 1 with the Clippers at Golden State and the Lakers at home against the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers make their Sports Arena debut the next night against the Utah Jazz.

O’Neal doesn’t play his first game as a visitor in Orlando until March 23, about 80% of the way through the season. That game will be televised nationally, one of 21 such appearances for the Lakers, starting with a Christmas Day game at Phoenix on NBC. The Clippers are on TBS on Nov. 27 against Miami from the Sports Arena.

It won’t take nearly as long for the Lakers to get a look at Vlade Divac as a Hornet--their fourth game is at Charlotte. Divac, in what is sure to be an emotional game for him, returns to the Forum on Jan. 8.

The Clippers play six games at the Pond of Anaheim: Nov. 30 against New Jersey, Dec. 16 against Phoenix, Jan. 23 against Seattle, Feb. 4 against the Lakers in what will be the first regular-season meeting there between the teams, March 6 against Orlando and April 12 against Denver.

The Chicago Bulls make their two Los Angeles appearances Nov. 25 at the Sports Arena and Feb. 5 at the Forum.

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Lakers on TV

Laker games to be televised on NBC (Channel 4) during the 1996-97 season:

Wed., Dec. 25, at Phoenix, 3 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 26, at Seattle, noon

Sun., Feb. 16, Seattle, noon

Sun., Feb. 23, New York, 12:30 p.m.

Sun., March 2, at Indiana, 10 a.m.

Sun., March 23, at Orlando, 9:30 a.m.

Sun., April 13, Utah, 12:30 p.m.

Sun., April 20, at Portland, 12:30 p.m.