NASCAR's Kyle Busch, Scott Speed to try Grand-Am racing

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Scott Speed plan to test their skills driving exotic Daytona Prototype sports cars in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

The duo will split driving duties July 4 in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway. They'll be racing a second Lexus Riley sports car fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, the team whose primary drivers, Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett of Auburn, Calif., are the series' defending champions.

Rojas and Pruett also won their first race of this seasonlast weekend, at Watkins Glen, N.Y., to gain a share of this year's point lead in the Grand-Am series, which was acquired by NASCAR last year.

Busch, 24, has three NASCAR Sprint Cup wins so far this year, tying him for the series high with Mark Martin, and is known for also winning frequently on NASCAR's two second-tier series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series.

Speed, 26, is a Manteca, Calif., native who raced in Formula One for 18 months before moving to stock-car racing.

"I am really looking forward to seeing Kyle and Scott in one of our Grand Am cars," said team co-owner Chip Ganassi. "Also, I think having the opportunity for them to work with a road-course veteran like Scott Pruett should make for a great experience for them. It will be exciting to see what they can do."

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: The #01 Lexus Riley of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas on its way to winning the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International Raceway on June 6 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Scott Speed plan to drive a similar car at a Grand-Am Rolex Series race next month. Credit: Brian Cleary / Getty Images.

ESPN ads let you relive magical Finals moments

ESPN begins its NBA Finals advertising campaign Monday. It's called "Elevated Moments'' and features some of the most memorable plays and players in Finals history.

Former Lakers prominent on digital billboards in several cities, including Los Angeles, will be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal.

For television, ESPN is replaying highlights such as Magic's junior sky hook (above) from the 1987 Finals against Boston and Dr. J's baseline reverse dunk from the 1980 Finals against the Lakers.

Cool video.

-- Randy Harvey

Los Angeles owners a mixed bag in Sports Illustrated's Best & Worst list

It stressed that this list was by no means scientific, but Sports Illustrated cited numerous factors when putting together its Best and Worst Owners list in the four major professional sports, the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. SI says the factors included the owners' willingness to spend money to improve the team, stability in the front office and management, amenities at the team's venue, how the team interacts with its fan base and one more important factor -- the team's overall success. Boil those five factors together and you'll see some of our L.A. owners on that list.

Baron Davis: injuries are piling up

Well, there won't be a glorious homecoming for Baron Davis on Sunday at Golden State.

At least not on the court.

The star-crossed Clippers' point guard will probably make the trip with the team and meet with the Bay Area media but playing appears to be out of the question. "Unfortunately," Davis said, "but we go there another time."

Davis suffered an injured hamstring when he was practicing Tuesday night. He had been making progress before the latest injury. The Clippers said it was not a strained hamstring but that he had some tightness in the area.

Before tonight's Lakers-Clippers game, Davis said he was pointing toward getting back for next Wednesday's game at Staples Center against Chicago.

Overly optimistic? Perhaps.

"That's the most important thing for me is to get back on the court," Davis said. "I'm tired of conditioning. I'm tired of watching. All my life all i did was play basketball every single day. And had it taken away from me. It just puts everything in perspective.

" ... I'm just approaching the rest of the season with a positive attitude. I'm not paying attention to what our record is."

Later in his session with the media in the hallway, there was a welcome interruption and friendly greeting.

"Just wish my little brother gets better soon," the legend said.

It was Magic Johnson.

-- Lisa Dillman

Photo: Baron Davis. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

Lakers-Celtics rivalry -- highs and lows from over the years

And now for The Times’ first-ever pre-game show, in anticipation of Thursday's Celtics-Lakers game. Here are some of the great moments in their storied rivalry that are available on YouTube.

Don Nelson’s shot hitting the back of the rim, bouncing up and then going in as the Celtics hold off the fast-closing Lakers in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals.

Boston fans chanting "Beat L.A.!" to the 76ers, who are in the process of upsetting the Celtics in Game 7 of the 1982 East Finals at the Boston Garden.

Gerald Henderson stealing James Worthy’s pass as the Celtics rally to win Game 2 in the 1984 series that they'll ultimately win 4-3, making them 8-0 against the Lakers in the Finals.

Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis in Game 4 in 1984 as the Celtics, who have trailed in the final minute of every game to that point, steal another one back to tie the series, 2-2.

The Lakers breaking through in 1985, eliminating the Celtics in Game 6 in Boston Garden, with former Boston great Tommy Heinsohn doing color commentary for CBS.

Magic Johnson’s “junior, junior sky hook” beating the Celtics in Game 5 of the 1987 Finals, en route to the Lakers’ fourth of five titles in the decade to the Celtics’ three.

Kevin Garnett’s emotional “What you going to say now?” speech after the Celtics trample the Lakers in Game 6 in last spring’s Finals.

A downcast Kobe Bryant after the Lakers' crushing 131-92 defeat in last spring's Game 6.

-- Mark Heisler

Photo: The Celtics' Kevin McHale. left, fouls the Lakers' Kurt Rambis during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in 1984.  Credit: Peter Read Miller / Sports Illustrated / Getty Images

Oscar De La Hoya's statue at Staples: the why of it all

I confess to being slightly taken aback at the debate over whether or not Oscar De La Hoya deserved to have himself depicted in a statue outside of Staples Center.

His 14-foot likeness, standing on the ropes in a celebration pose after a boxing victory, was unveiled for all Monday, near statues of other Los Angeles sports icons, the former Laker Magic Johnson and the former Kings hockey star Wayne Gretzky.

Here in Las Vegas, where De La Hoya will fight Manny Pacquiao in a 147-pound match that has become the biggest noisemaker of the year, there continues to be much debate over De La Hoya's statue-worthiness. Part of that is because our sports columnist, Bill Plaschke, wrote that maybe there are others more worthy, that maybe a boxer who hasn't won a lot recently and who has a business connection with the people who run Staples Center and decide on the statues doesn't quite make the cut.

The boxing community gathered here seems to have taken much exception to that stance, because to diss De La Hoya, boxing's main draw and most charismatic character over the last 10 years, is to diss the sport as a whole.

For what it's worth, I have a different take on this whole thing.

Why are any sports stars immortalized in statues?

Is what they do (for the entertainment of the rest of us and for large sums of money) worth a permanent place in our lives and those of the future generations? Are these the role models we want to point to -- as fine people as they are and as much as they have achieved under great gobs of pressure --when we tell our children that they are to emulate those who are now bronzed?

I think our country got it right with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

How about a place outside Staples Center for a statue of the unknown firefighter, who rousted people out of their homes around Los Angeles a few weeks ago and then manned the front lines with a hose?

How about a generic cop, a generic emergency room doctor, a generic scientist creating vaccines to keep us alive? How about a generic teacher, surrounded by teens, clearly eager to learn because this generic teacher has inspired them.

I know, that's pretty naive, kind of Pollyanna-like.

I take it back. Sorry I even brought it up. I guess I just slipped into a bad moment there, but I have recovered.

As I ponder it further, I can see that our world needs more multimillionaires in jockstraps to be the cornerstones of our future.

As a younger generation used to say, my bad.

-- Bill Dwyre

Photo: A 14-foot bronze statue in the likeness of Oscar De La Hoya stands in front of Staples Center. Credit: Harry How / Getty Images

   

Last call: Your choices as the greatest L.A. Lakers of all time

We got 1,151 ballots from you, the loyal reader (and believe me, no one here thought we had 1,151 readers left) for the greatest L.A. Lakers of all time. But before we get to the results, here's  my choice for Nos 4-1.

No. 4: Kobe Bryant

No. 3: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

No. 2: Jerry West (Almost considered making him No. 1 because of his tenure as GM).

No. 1: Magic Johnson

And now, your votes. I removed Chick Hearn from the ballots of those who had him (he would have finished about 15th), and moved everyone else on those ballots up one (some people didn't include him because they thought he was ineligible, so I decided in fairness to take him out entirely.) I did the same for those of you who voted for George Mikan, since he never played in L.A.

You had to be listed on at least 50 ballots to make the list. Players listed in first on a ballot received 12 points, second place got 9, third place got 8, all the way to one point for 10th place.

Players named on fewer than 50 ballots: Bob McAdoo, Phil Jackson, Happy Hairston, Robert Horry, Spencer Haywood, Bill Sharman, Walt Hazzard, Adrian Dantley, Mychal Thompson, AC Green, Kermit Washington.

17th place: Pau Gasol (114 points)

16th place: Kurt Rambis (135 points)

15th place: Derek Fisher (187 points)

14th place: Norm Nixon (197 points)

13th place: Pat Riley (228 points)

12th place: Byron Scott (249 points)

11th place: Jamaal Wilkes (518 points)

10th place: Michael Cooper (1,255 points)

9th place: Gail Goodrich (2,323 points)

8th place: Shaquille O'Neal (4,231 points)

7th place: James Worthy (4,459 points)

6th place: Wilt Chamberlain (31 first-place votes, 5,465 points)

5th place: Elgin Baylor (41 first-place votes, 6,491 points)

4th place: Kobe Bryant (73 first-place votes, 7,663 points). Kobe is a polarizing figure, as over 100 people didn't even list him as one of their 10.

3rd place: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (155 first-place votes, 9,426 points)

2nd place: Jerry West (270 first-place votes, 10,421 points)

1st place: Magic Johnson (581 first-place votes, 11,769 points)

--Houston Mitchell

Last call: Magic trick of the day, and Magic Johnson

People are always walking around saying to themselves, "I wish I knew a great magic trick so I could amaze my friends." Well, wish no more! Look:

Speaking of magic, Magic Johnson has taken the early lead in balloting for the greatest L.A. Laker of all time. He has a very narrow lead, however, so there's still time for you to put your favorite on top. Just e-mail your list, in order, of the 10 greatest L.A. Lakers of all time to houston.mitchell@latimes.com, or leave it in the comment field below. Friday, my choices will be revealed as a breathless nation awaits.

-- Houston Mitchell

Mayor KJ (as in Kevin Johnson)

It must be a new day. In other historic races in which an African American shattered racial barriers to become a chief executive, Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star, was elected mayor of Sacramento, his hometown.

Meet His Honor, Mayor KJ.

Johnson, a three-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns in the '80s and '90s,  defeated two-term incumbent Heather Fargo by a crushing 58%-to-42% margin.

"Sacramento also made history today in electing its first black mayor," Johnson declared at a victory celebration in Sacramento. “Both [President-elect Barack] Obama and myself, we ran on a promise and the theme of change. No more business as usual."

Stars like Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Springsteen campaigned for Obama. Stars like Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley campaigned for Johnson.

"A little knucklehead kid, a poor kid from Oak Park [a neighborhood in Sacramento], going away and coming back and being the mayor of the city he grew up in," said the mayor-elect, "that's the American dream."

-- Mark Heisler

Photo: Mayor-elect Kevin Johnson, second from left, embraces a supporter after his speech at the election night party in Sacramento Tuesday night. Credit: Jose Luis Villegas / Sacramento Bee via Associated Press