The Associated Press reports: Los Angeles Lakers forward Rick Fox was suspended six games by the NBA on Monday and Sacramento Kings guard Doug Christie was hit with a two-game ban as punishment for their two skirmishes in last Friday's preseason finale in Los Angeles.

The league, however, opted against additional fines or suspensions for the Lakers and Kings despite the involvement of numerous members from both teams.

"Our rule contemplates players leaving the bench for an altercation on the court. The fact that this altercation took place in the tunnel, in the hallway, was different in our minds," NBA vice president Stu Jackson said. "We felt, at the end of the day, the players should not be penalized for leaving the bench for an incident away from the court."

Fox and Christie did not receive fines on top of the suspensions but will take hits to their salaries. Fox will be allowed to attend the ring ceremony for the Lakers, but then must leave immediately.

Paul Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Times reports that Rick Fox apologized for attacking Doug Christie after both were ejected during Friday?s Lakers/Kings exhibition game. He apologized to his teammates and their fans, but not Christie or the Kings.

"It's not anything that I condone," Fox said of his actions in the melee. "I mean, I'm a father and a husband and I have kids that look up to me. It's disappointing that for that moment I fell into the tactics of their attempt to be brave six months later."

Fox then offered some speculation as to how the incident may have started.

"They came to win a championship in a preseason game. They should have thought about that a few months back, it's a little late to get brave now. [Christie] made some statements about being scared in Game 7 [of the Western Conference finals] so I'm sure he was embarrassed of those statements and I'm sure his teammates have questions about his ability to perform. So he shaves his head, comes out and has something to prove.

"It's just a situation where my emotions got hijacked and I regret responding the way I did."

The mele started on the court where Fox and Christie traded blows, Fox with an elbow and an open hand to the face, Christie with a fist to the chin. After both were ejected, Fox sprinted through a corridor to meet Christie in the hallway to the Kings? locker room.

More punches were thrown as the entire Kings team and Lakers? center Shaquille O?Neal arrived to attempt to break up the brawl. According to several witnesses, Christies? wife was there as well. "I guess she thought he needed some help," Fox said.

Both teams will await the suspensions and fines likely to be announced ny the league today. Fox doesn?t know what would be a fair punishment. "What is fair depends upon what precedent they want to set," he said.

Martin McNeal of the Sacramento Bee reports: The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers are awaiting the likely fines and suspensions for the friday night fight between Doug Christie and Rick Fox.

While a ruling might not be announced until monday, the kings might have more to worry about.

Christie and Fox figure to be suspended, but the question is how the league will react to the Kings as well as Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal leaving their respective bench areas.

Rule No. 12, Section VII, subsection C states, "During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum of one game and fined up to $35,000."

The rules state a team must have at least eight players suited up and ready to play in every game. Should all of the Kings be suspended, they will have to dress eight players and then have their suspensions served one game at a time with the order determined alphabetically.

Tim Brown and the Associated Press report: Bad blood simmering since the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Sacramento Kings from last season's Western Conference Finals boiled over Friday night when the Lakers' Rick Fox got into a fight on and off court with the Kings' Doug Christie.

Two minutes and seven seconds into Friday night's exhibition game at Staples Center, Rick Fox fought King guard Doug Christie twice, once on the floor and again in a tunnel leading to the Kings' locker room. The second drew most of the Kings from their bench, along with Laker center Shaquille O'Neal, though apparently no one was injured.

Christie and Fox are sure to be fined and suspended for at least opening night.

The altercation started when Fox accidently hit Christie with an elbow to the face. Fox was then called for an offensive foul and dropped the ball then Christie flipped it back into his face, then fox shoved him in the face and Christie then hit him with a left punch to the face.

After both players were ejected, Fox then darted from the Laker bench, through the tunnel, down a hallway that separates the locker rooms and to the mouth of the Kings' tunnel, where he met Christie coming off the floor.

According to witnesses, Fox put a headlock around Christie, who threw several more punches at Fox, some of which Fox returned. The two grappled there until they were engulfed by Kings rushing from their bench and arena security personnel, then fell into a black curtain.

"Crazy people. Stupid people. Seriously," King center Vlade Divac said. "Rick is the guy who did something. But Doug also crossed the line."

The Kings won the game 93-88.

The Clippers and the Lakers have been affected by injuries this summer. The Los Angeles times reports on some of the injuries plaguing the LA teams this preseason.

It has been learned that Shaquille O?Neal will start the season on the injured list for the Lakers. This means that he will miss the first five games of the regular season at least. O'Neal, who had surgery on his right big toe six weeks ago today, could return Nov. 7 against the Boston Celtics. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, however, said he figured O'Neal would miss at least two more games.

Having O'Neal on the injured list would let the Lakers have another player active, presumably Soumalia Samake.

O?Neal met with his shoe company to discuss the fit of his playing shoes. Shaq will meet with his doctor on Thursday. "If everything's OK, I'll be cleared to run," O'Neal said.

The Clippers are finally starting to get healthy. After preseason injuries to most of their key players, forward Elton Brand, center Michael Olowokandi and sixth man Quentin Richardson, practiced Tuesday for the first time in more than two weeks.

Brand, Olowokandi and Richardson each indicated to Gentry they hope to play in their final preseason game tonight, but Gentry couldn't say for certain Tuesday whether any of the three would face the Cavaliers.

Brand underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Sept. 26 and isn't expected to be sound for at least another week or so. Olowokandi has a sore left knee and Richardson has a sprained right knee. Their availability also is uncertain.

"I'm really frustrated with all the injuries," Gentry said. "We haven't had all our guys out there for one single [exhibition] game. We can't walk out there on opening night and expect that everything is going to click."

Frank Hughes of the News Tribune reports that Magic Johnson may eventually return to the NBA? as a Supersonic. Johnson said he is "65 or 70 percent down the road" toward becoming a part owner and administrator of the Seattle SuperSonics.

Johnson said he has spoken with Sonics? principal owner Howard Schultz to discuss how much it would cost to buy into the Sonics? ownership group and what role he would play with the organization. All that is left is for Johnson to negotiate a buyout of his stake in the Lakers with Dr. Jerry Buss.

If you ask me where we are, right now we are about 65 or 70 percent down the road," said Johnson, in Seattle to help raise money for the campaign against breast cancer. "I am excited. Howard is excited. Hopefully there can be a deal." Schultz declined to comment Sunday, saying he would wait until Johnson and Buss resolve their financial issues.

Before Johnson can be bought out of his Lakers ownership, the value of the franchise must be determined. Based on the recent sale of the Celtics for $350 million and the leagues? announcement of a $300 million cost to buy a franchise for Charlotte, the Lakers? value could be placed at $500 million. Johnson?s 5 percent stake could net him a $25 million buyout.

According to a source close to the situation, Johnson would then buy 5 percent of the Sonics and would be a "hands-on" owner.

Johnson said a large part of the discussion centered on his role with the franchise. He currently works as a sort of goodwill ambassador for the Lakers, but said he wants to do more with Seattle. "I told Howard I wanted to be a part of the organization, not just an owner," Johnson said. "But I want to make it clear, I don't want to disrupt anything. I want to add to what is already in place."

Johnson said he would help players work out in the summer. He said he would help recruit free agents. He said he would help deal with players with issues because of the respect his name commands. He said he would work in the community to raise team awareness. He said he would even work with local governments to get a new arena if and when that topic arises.

"I'm a worker, so you are going to see me in Seattle green everywhere," Johnson said. "Whatever they would send me in to do, that's what I would do. I am a team player, and so I would be the guy. Wherever you see the need, then you send me in to do that."

Kevin Ding of the Orange County register reports that the trash talking has already begun between the Lakers and the Kings. Since both teams are expected to repeat their success and with another seven months to wait until the Western Conference Finals, there will be much mud-slinging to come.

"We are the favorites," Kings guard Mike Bibby said. "You have to have confidence in your abilities. But I don't think anyone else really believes we are." Bibby has been the one providing almost all the headlines up north. Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof did say that the Kings were better than the Lakers last season and should be "one of the greatest teams ever" this season.

Bibby has been hitting the weights in the offseason and has talked of a 70-win season. He also wants to use this season to put an asterisk next to the Lakers last championship because of the way the officials botched Game 6 of the Conference Finals.

"I like to have fun, talk (expletive), and I get excited and then have fun," Bibby told The Sacramento Bee. "I know how to say something to bother people. The Lakers have been talking so much (expletive). We can't have people talking that much about us and not say anything."

The Lakers have done their share of talking as well:

"They've got a lot of talkers," Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal said of the Kings. "You always talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? They had us right where they wanted us. But in Game 7, Doug (Christie) couldn't hit any shots, Chris (Webber) didn't want to shoot, Vlade (Divac) fouled out on purpose, Scot Pollard can't play anyway."

O'Neal also said of the Kings: "The older they get, the wearier they get. "They have the type of guys that the older they get, their skills deteriorate," O'Neal said. "We have guys, the older we get, the better we get - me being one, Kobe (Bryant) being one."

In spite of Bibby's bold talk, it seems the Kings understand that they remain in a lesser class than the Lakers, at least until they can try again next spring. "If you have the belt, you're the favorite," Webber said. "You can't decision the champ, you have to knock him out."

So, until they meet again, everyone waits.