Jackson is willing to pay for results

Phil Jackson laughed, heartily, when asked if the $25,000 fine doled out by the league was appropriate.

It was practically a double-or-nothing question, with the eyes of the league probably eager to read his response after penalizing him for criticizing referees last week.

So Jackson spoke, carefully, but also somewhat forcefully.

“Anything’s acceptable if it gets the results that it’s after,” he said. “If it makes the league pay attention, how they deliver their crews, and what kind of games you get, then it’s important. And how kids are treated on the floor.”

The kid at the top of Jackson’s list is center Andrew Bynum, who got called for a travel and, later, didn’t go to the free-throw line after getting slapped audibly in a loss last Friday in Utah. A day later, Jackson said the league “throws out some referee corps that you’re dubious about to start with and, you know, the game ends up like that.”

Bynum didn’t start Thursday’s rematch against the Jazz, coming off the bench for the first time this season.

His numbers had dropped since a 12-point, 13-rebound effort Nov. 19 against Chicago. In the four games leading up to Thursday, he had combined for 16 points and 18 rebounds.

Jackson playfully chided the media before the game, blaming reporters for trumping up Bynum’s ability.

“It’s you guys,” he said. “You guys paid a lot of attention to him and all of a sudden he thought he was pretty good. He was reading his press clippings instead of going out and playing hard. You guys were talking to him and paying attention. Before, he thought he was a bump on a log.”

So reporters should stop talking to Bynum?

“No, no,” Jackson said. “Pay attention to the kid. He needs it. He’ll come back [stronger]. He’ll get over it.”

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Jackson eventually got to more serious, big-picture matter regarding Bynum.

“The biggest thing we could teach him ... is a work ethic,” he said. “That’s what we really are striving for. He’s got a long ways to go. Would Andrew have been an athlete if he wasn’t a 7-[foot]-1 kid? Would he have been a competitor?

“To find that pleasure in winning and competing is really what’s important. There have been a lot of players that have been able to come to this game and do things and get numbers and get salaries but haven’t learned to compete and enjoy the competition level. That’s what we want to instill in Andrew.”

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The Lakers set a team record with 37 three-point attempts in Tuesday’s loss to Milwaukee, but it wasn’t even the most in the NBA in November. Phoenix took 39 three-point attempts Nov. 11 against Memphis.

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