A FAMILY FINALLY REUNITED.

Byline: Tom Hoffarth

Bringing closure to the Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble family feud could have been more important than having each of the basketball players' numbers retired Saturday night at Loyola Marymount University.

We remember the two as close, if not closer, than brothers. Then it was abruptly ripped apart with subsequent lawsuits against the university and resentment toward the attention Kimble received.

That was almost as tragic as Gathers' death itself.

Gathers' family alienated many at LMU, a community that would have supported them without any legal pressure. Thankfully, those people understood how the Gathers' sudden loss turned their world upside down and, when it was time to honor Hank and Bo, they didn't keep any grudges.

Gathers' family appreciated that Saturday night when reunited with the LMU family for the first time in a decade. And Gathers' mother, Lucille Cheeseboro, even said during the ceremony that she'll be back to visit LMU, which she said she considers ``her second home.''

``When we look back on that now, we see a lot of regrets and a lot of people's feelings that we may have hurt,'' said Hank's brother, Derrick afterward. ``We can put all that behind us, finally, and say, `Thank you, Loyola for accepting my brother and the Gathers family as family.' ''

--If this is some message that Capt'n Hook is sending out - that he's willing to start his NBA coaching career at the bottom, since there's nowhere to go but up with the Clippers - he best be careful whom he associates with his good name.

Kareem could end up being linked to Michael Olowokandi's career like Willis Reed is to Benoit Benjamin's or Bill Russell is to Pervis Ellison. . . .

--When the Houston Rockets wanna move, Anaheim's golden Pond will gladly take 'em in. . . .

--Rams savior Kurt Warner will get more than a half mil up front for writing his life story (with help from Sports Illustrated's Mike Silver).

Cash in now, 'cause this time next year, Warner may be unrecognizable playing behind his new offensive line . . .

--Whatever happened to Samantha Stevenson? . . .

--Long Beach Ice Dogs goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin has stopped 18 of 18 shots during them crazy shootouts they use in the IHL to break a tie. Great stat, but that won't get him anything back in the NHL. . . .

--The Goodwill Games still sound like some AYSO event where everyone gets a little plastic trophy just for showin' up. . . .

--He had rotator cuff surgery about three months ago and isn't expected to begin thinking about the Red Sox starting rotation until midseason, but already Bret Saberhagen has stunned the coaching staff by playing some long toss at the team's spring camp this week.

Meanwhile, Pedro Martinez missed the team's first training session. . . .

--Fantasy baseball draft tip: T. Hundley, no later than the 10th round. . . . < --New Angels pitcher Tom Candiotti is a year older than new Angels manager Mike Scioscia. And, yup, the former used to throw knucklers to the latter when they were members of the Dodgers. . . .

--Dodgers rookie Eric Gagne has been tabbed a pitcher likely to impact the 2000 season by USA Today's Baseball Weekly. . . .

--If being a loser means you get $7.25 million in an arbitration hearing as the Yankees' Mariano Rivera did, we should all learn to be a closer. . . .

--When the Daytona 500 started, there was nearly a 1-in-4 chance that someone named Dale, Kenny or Mike would win it. . . .

--The owner and driver of NASCAR's No. 27 Viagra Pontiac say they're not amused anymore by the constant jokes and double-entendres about their car's sponsor.

Don't worry. They'll soon fizzle out.