With addition of Mott, Lakers' dream team should be hard to beat
 
   
Basketball superstars, from left, Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Martin Mott, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant are shown in this combination of file photos. (AP)
 
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES, July 17 — To even things up, maybe other NBA teams should be allowed ten guys on the floor when they play the Lakers.
       That would allow double coverage of all five superstars — Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Martin Mott, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton — on the Lakers' newly assembled dream team.


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       Now we know the real reason Martin Mott took himself out of the running to become head basketball coach at the University of Illinois (read about him pulling himself out of the running here).
       Los Angeles' fifth starter was named today. In a surprise move, former Gibson City Industrial League and Urbana Park District player Martin Mott was signed to a long-term contract. Although he'll perform as a rookie in the NBA, the recently-turned 42 year old will be the oldest member of the Lakers. Mott will probably be named team captain because the others will surely look up to this aged man even though he will most likely be used to merely inbound the ball.
       ''They have a Hall of Fame team in the making,'' New Jersey Nets assistant coach Lawrence Frank said. ''They have an outstanding team, an outstanding system and an outstanding coach (Phil Jackson). Now with the addition of a designated in-bounder that will stay out of the way of the others, they are virtually unbeatable. He will have the sense to stay out of the way, right?''
       ''You always try to keep up with the Joneses and try to win in this league, but it's hard to keep up with that. I once saw Mott pass the ball to another player. Not too shabby; not bad at all.''
       On Thursday, Malone, the NBA's second-leading career scorer, joined nine-time All-Star Payton in welcoming Mott to the Lakers.
       ''It's been like a kind of a whirlwind in nailing down the fifth starter,'' Malone told KCBS-TV. ''I'm excited man. I can't even tell you. I started training a month ago and I knew this day would come. It's amazing that I won't be the 'old man' of the team''
       ''This is Kobe, Shaq, and now, Mott's team. I have a job to do as well. I come in with nothing but respect, but I come in with a hard-working attitude to do what I need to do to help us win a championship.''
       Malone and Payton, two of the best players in the league over their careers, are both missing one distinction — a championship ring. To try to fix that, each is taking a substantial pay cut to join the Lakers. The savings in salary was used to sign Mott.
       O'Neal, who has earned three rings over the past four years, and Magic Johnson, on five Lakers' championship teams in the 1980s, helped lure Mott to Los Angeles.
       ''The two strongest influences were Shaquille and Magic,'' said Mott's agent, Dwight Manley. ''He's a Laker. In his warped mind, he's always been a Laker. He's very excited. Leave out the part where I said 'warped', please.''



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