He's a special one

Nick Anderson has been gone now for three seasons, but his heart remains in Orlando.

Anderson, the first player drafted by the Magic (1989), played with Orlando for 10 seasons before being traded to Sacramento. And last summer he was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies along with point guard Jason Williams.

"This is my home, and it always will be," Anderson said Monday night at TD Waterhouse Centre. "To me, this is like Arlington Cemetery. They can bury me here."

Anderson didn't play Monday, missing his fourth game this season -- and second consecutive -- because of a sprained right ankle. He had been playing with two dislocated fingers and a broken nose for the last month.

"I'm not afraid to admit it, but I can't move like I once could. I'm not young anymore," said Anderson, 33. "Sometimes I wake up in the morning, and my body is killing me."

Anderson, who has another season left on his contract, has been reduced to a mop-up role with the Grizzlies, who are developing younger players. He is averaging 16.7 minutes, 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Anderson once scored 50 points for the Magic in 1993 against the Nets in New Jersey.

"Yea, that was before all my hops turned into hopes," he said. "Right now, I'm just trying to help some of the young guys here. I talk with Shane Battier all the time, trying to offer some things that can help him. After 13 years in the league, I've learned a few things."

Anderson watched Monday's game in street clothes. He'll be re-examined by doctors after he returns to Memphis. He still has a home in Orlando, where his mother lives.

"No disrespect to where I play, but I would love the chance to finish my career in Orlando, maybe even move into a front-office position," he said. "When I was traded, I was bitter about it, but I've matured. It's a business, and I've done well, and lasted longer than I ever thought I would. But this is where I'm going to be eventually."

Herb in the house

Attending the Magic's practice Monday morning and the game Monday night was former NBA center Herb Williams, who retired after the 1998-99 season. Williams, 43, looked fit enough to play, but he laughed at the suggestion. He is a close friend of Magic backup center Patrick Ewing, who is 39 and still playing.

"I'm not Michael Jordan. I've been out for a few years, and I'm not coming back," Williams said. "I'm just here to sit on Patrick's couch and eat all his food."

Doc knows point guards

Magic Coach Doc Rivers, a former NBA point guard, said he's like a fan when it comes to watching Jason Williams, the Grizzlies' flashy point guard.

"He's got a special game, and he sees the floor as well as anyone in the league," Rivers said. "But he's so hot and cold. He can drop 40 points and 15 assists on you. He's that good. But the next night, he could just drop the ball."