Van Exel Enjoys Other Plaudits

Twenty-three assists.

A day removed from the impressive feat--the most in the NBA this season, six more than his previous high, one short of the Lakers’ single-game record--Nick Van Exel was able to appreciate it even more than in the moments immediately after Sunday’s victory at Vancouver.

Mostly, it was about more than numbers.

“For me, it’s something I can really be proud of,” Van Exel said Monday. “All my life, I’ve been known as a scorer, scorer, scorer. Then to hand out 23 assists in a game, it showed how I’ve become a playmaker and a true point guard. That’s something I can really take pride in.”

Not to mention something that friends can get on him about. They needed only about the same time it took Van Exel to pile up the 23 assists to pepper him with messages, some on his pager and some at the Laker hotel in Portland, getting on him for coming within one of the team record by Magic Johnson, then falling short.

Sunday’s overlooked statistic? Van Exel also had eight rebounds.

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Unlike the first meeting between the teams, this one included two 18-year-olds, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and Jermaine O’Neal of the Trail Blazers, playing at the same time.