Doug Collins hadn't been a TNT analyst for nine years and now the network wanted him back. He had been fired by the Washington Wizards with two and a half years left on his contract, and during the July 4th weekend, he decided that he wanted to call N.B.A. games again.

ESPN and ABC also wanted him and dangled three different deals: ABC's Sunday games; an ABC-ESPN deal or ESPN's Friday night package. To accommodate Collins - who wanted to work only in a two-man booth - ABC and/or ESPN would have had to move Bill Walton and Tom Tolbert as the joint No. 1 analysts.

"I don't care who's No. 1 or No. 2,'' Tolbert said yesterday. "All I know is that I get to call basketball games - from the court, a studio or as a No. 1 or a No. 2.''

In their first year together, Walton, Tolbert and their play-by-play partner, Brad Nessler, struggled to be cohesive. ABC has begun discussions with Al Michaels that might lead to his replacing Nessler on all or some of its games.

Unlike Walton, who found a basketball nirvana by working in almost every outlet ESPN owns, Collins had little interest in doing that. "There would be no ESPN.com, no columns, no 'SportsCenter,' no ESPN Radio," said John Langell, Collins's agent.

TNT had three advantages: a Thursday night schedule, giving Collins plenty of time for his family; his loyalty to the network; and TNT's superior production.

"Doug remembers that he was here before, and that we gave him his first opportunity when he left coaching the Bulls,'' said David Levy, the president of Turner Sports. "I truly believe he felt comfortable here."

It took 13 years, but Chicago native Kendall Gill finally fulfilled his boyhood dream Wednesday when he signed a one-year, $1.07million contract to play for his beloved hometown Bulls.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and his most recent team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, also made offers to the 35-year-old former Rich Central and Illinois standout.

''But I knew I wanted to play here all along,'' said Gill, a 6-5, 215-pound shooting guard. ''So it really didn't matter once the Bulls expressed interest. There are only three uniforms that I ever wanted to wear in my basketball career. One is the Rich Central Olympians in Olympia Fields. The [second] is the University of Illinois, and the other is the Bulls. All the other five NBA teams [Charlotte, Seattle, New Jersey, Miami and Minnesota] in between don't matter.

''I was a fan of the Bulls long before I became a basketball player. I was only about 8 or 9 years old when I first started coming to the old Chicago Stadium along with my cousin, Efrem Hayes, and a few other friends.

''We didn't have the money to go inside to see the games. But we got a thrill from just standing outside the Stadium at Gate 3-1/2 watching the players drive up in their luxury cars.''

Bulls operations chief John Paxson confirmed a Sun-Times report that the Bulls made room for Gill on the roster by releasing Dalibor Bagaric, a 7-1, 290-pound center from Croatia. Bagaric, who is playing with the Croatian national team, will be paid most of the $1.4 million he was guaranteed when the Bulls exercised the option on him for next season. But he will play in Europe.

''This way we are being fair with Dalibor by giving him a chance to go where he will get more playing time to facilitate his development,'' said Paxson, who left for vacation with his family after signing Gill. ''We feel real good about adding Gill to our team. He is another quality veteran who has an unbelievable workout regimen, which has kept him healthy and afforded him a lot of success over the years. He can play several positions and will join Trenton Hassell and Eddie Robinson filling in for Scottie Pippen in busy stretches of our schedule.''

The Chicago Bulls today signed veteran free agent Kendall Gill. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

?We are extremely happy to add Kendall to our roster. He has an unbelievable workout regimen which has afforded him a lot of success over his 13 years in this league. He has played with quality teams and he is a veteran who will help us tremendously,? said Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson.

A 6-5, 215-pound guard, Gill has appeared in 896 games in 13 NBA seasons, averaging 13.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.61 spg, shooting .437 from the field, .302 from 3-point range and .754 from the free throw line. He averaged double figures in scoring in each of his first 10 seasons in the NBA, including his career-high 21.8 ppg during the 1996-97 season with New Jersey. He has spent his career with five different teams before Chicago (Charlotte, Seattle, New Jersey, Miami and Minnesota) and helped all but one of those clubs to playoff appearances. In 27 playoff appearances, Gill has averaged 11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.44 spg, shooting .408 from the field and .686 from the free throw line.

Last season, Gill was with the Minnesota Timberwolves and appeared in all 82 games, averaged 8.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.9 apg, shot .422 from the field, .322 from behind the arc and .764 from the free throw line. He also appeared in six playoffs games versus the L.A. Lakers.

Dalibor Bagaric's days with the Bulls are over as the addition of Kendall Gill, who is expected to be signed today, pushes the team's roster to 16, one player over the limit.

Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause drafted Bagaric, 23, with the 24th pick of the first round in 2000, but the 7-1, 290-pound Bagaric never found his niche in the NBA. He played a total of 76 minutes last season as a three-year veteran.

Bagaric became so despondent with his lack of playing time last season, he asked Krause to trade him. Instead, Krause surprisingly guaranteed Bagaric's contract for next season for nearly $1.4 million. Bagaric is expected to clear waivers and play next season in Europe.

New Bulls operations chief John Paxson was considering Gill, a former Illini, as a free-agent alternative if Scottie Pippen didn't sign with the Bulls. Gill, 35, is a 13-year veteran with strong leadership and defensive skills.

If Jamal Crawford plays this season the way he did Sunday, that new contract he's seeking could be worth the wait.

And Crawford realizes he's probably going to have to wait longer than he wanted.

Before dropping a triple-double in Jalen Rose's charity all-star game at the United Center, Crawford said he's not upset about the likelihood his contract won't be extended this year. Crawford, 23, who is entering his fourth season, was hoping to sign an extension, but operations chief John Paxson said he's inclined to be patient and perhaps wait until next year.

''We want something that's fair to both sides,'' Crawford said. ''If it doesn't work out this summer, no problem.

''A lot of guys don't get extended after their third year.''

The window to extend contracts for first-rounders from the Class of 2000 closes Oct. 29, and it's possible none will receive a major extension. Even the New Jersey Nets' Kenyon Martin, who was the first overall pick and has helped lead his team to the last two NBA Finals, isn't likely to get the extension he wants.

Without an extension, Crawford will become a restricted free agent next season, meaning the Bulls could match any offer. Restricted free agency worked out for Gilbert Arenas, who recently signed a six-year, $65 million deal with the Washington Wizards.

''I'm sure there will be offers from other teams,'' Crawford said, "but my first priority is to stay here.

Eddy's going to score. Tyson's going to rebound. And Jamal's going to dribble and pass.

And everyone was looking for Scottie Pippen.

Jalen Rose's annual charity all-star game Sunday at the United Center provided a first glimpse of what the 2003-04 season may be for the Bulls.

"Basically we have our team, our core guys," said Jamal Crawford, who played for the winning red team in the exhibition to benefit several Chicago charities. "I think we're going to have a great year together. We all played well when we were playing together last season. Right from the start, I think it will be a breakout year for all of us.

"We can go to the playoffs this year and make some noise. If we don't, it will be a disappointment for everyone. What is this, the fifth, sixth year [of losing records]? That's ridiculous. The fans deserve better than that.

"If we don't do it, there'll have to be some changes. You just cannot keep doing the same thing."

Here's the great philosophical question for sports fans:

Would you rather have a good player who is not a superstar, but who is a good guy, community-oriented and caring, someone you can be proud of? Or players who care little or nothing for the community but produce excellence and championships?

Would you rather have Jalen Rose, who is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money and weeks of his own time in support of the community but has never been an All-Star or brought a winner here? Or the championship Bulls teams filled with stars who locked their car doors on the rare occasions they even came into Chicago on non-game nights?

The question comes to mind this weekend as Rose, the Bulls' captain and high scorer, puts together one of the great sports events to benefit the city.

Rose's charity all-star basketball game at the United Center at 3 p.m. Sunday will benefit five Chicago institutions: the Chicago Public Schools, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the Illinois Special Olympics, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and the Juvenile Diabetes Fund.

Bulls operations chief John Paxson remembers how it felt to be a player worrying about a contract extension, which is why he recently pulled aside Jamal Crawford.

Crawford, 23, became eligible for an extension Aug. 1, and the window remains open until Oct. 30. Paxson also phoned Crawford's agent, Arn Tellem.

But the conversations weren't to negotiate as much as to establish an understanding. Paxson wants to be patient, which likely means there won't be an extension this year.

''All I expressed to Jamal is that whatever happens in this process, if something doesn't work out this year, it doesn't mean that we don't want him back,'' Paxson said. ''I'm still kind of in a patient mode with the whole process, and we don't necessarily feel something has to get done before the season.

''We're going to try to talk again some time in September.''

Without an extension, Crawford--who is entering his fourth season--would become a restricted free agent next year, which means the Bulls could match any offer extended to Crawford.

Crawford has said he wanted to sign an extension, but Paxson said Crawford is handling the situation with maturity.

''Jamal was great about it,'' Paxson said. ''He's been so good about everything this offseason.

The respect Jalen Rose enjoys from his peers is reflected in the rosters for his star-studded charity basketball game Sunday at the United Center.

Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns and rookie Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets are among those who have committed to the game, which begins at 3 p.m. Also scheduled to participate are Gilbert Arenas and Jerry Stackhouse of the Washington Wizards, Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons and rookie T.J. Ford of the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as several of Rose's Bulls teammates, including Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.

Rose was hoping Scottie Pippen would be able to play, but it doesn't appear his schedule will allow him to be in town this weekend.

Rose and Tim Hardaway co-hosted a game last year that drew more than 19,000 fans. Rose decided to boost the entertainment value this year by adding singing sensation Ashanti as the halftime show. Rose also convinced his friend Cedric ''The Entertainer'' to put on a comedy show, which will be held Saturday night at the Auditorium Theater.

Proceeds from both events will benefit Chicago public schools, juvenile diabetes research, Special Olympics of Illinois, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Fans attending the game are encouraged to bring new school supplies to donate at the door.

One of the toughest decisions for any athlete is determining the proper time to call it a career.

Former Bull Steve Kerr struggled with those thoughts for a while this summer before deciding last week to retire and accept a job as an analyst for TNT's coverage of the NBA.

Kerr was in town Thursday to conduct a basketball clinic in Skokie and talked about his decision to walk away after winning another championship ring (his fifth) with the San Antonio Spurs a couple of months ago.

''It was kind of a combination of things,'' he said. ''Going out on top, while I still was playing well, was appealing, and in the back of my mind I knew that next year could have been tough with the Spurs.

''I also knew that this opportunity [with TNT] probably wouldn't be there next year. They would have filled the position. I just felt like the timing was right.''