A MAD GIFT MADSEN GIVES THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK TO PAY BACK PASADENA BOY'S LOYALTY.

Byline: Doug Spoon Staff Writer

PASADENA - Chances are, you could check the Christmas wish lists of 1,000 young Lakers fans and find that 995 of them asked for something related to Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant.

Not 11-year-old David Bradford of Pasadena. He's the exception.

He's also the only one wearing an official, personally autographed Lakers uniform this holiday season.

Actually, David got his gift a bit early, and almost by accident. Yet ever since a special gift arrived in a Nike size-16 shoe box for his birthday in October, every day has felt like Christmas around the Bradford house.

David, you see, is a big fan of Mark Madsen. You know, the 6-foot-9 forward who helped Stanford fare so well in the Pacific-10 Conference the last few years. The guy they call ``Mad Dog.''

David's mother, Jane, is a Stanford alumna. She and her husband, Stephen, an attorney, follow Stanford basketball religiously and are quick to point out to their son the solid work ethic coach Mike Montgomery instills in his players.

It was no surprise, then, when David got all excited about the Lakers making Madsen their first-round draft choice before this season. Although Madsen averages only about five minutes per game while he learns coach Phil Jackson's offense, David follows his every move and wishes his hero could play more.

``I like Mad Dog because he has good sportsmanship and he puts a lot of effort into it,'' David said.

Sounds like a boy who has been coached well by parents who truly care.

At a dinner party in Los Angeles around the start of the NBA season, Stephen and Jane Bradford were surprised to see Madsen walk in with a friend. They introduced themselves and asked for his autograph for their son, thinking it would be the perfect birthday gift. They also asked if he knew where they could buy a Mark Madsen Lakers jersey.

``He said, `You know, I just got my Laker uniforms and for some reason they gave me two. I'd be happy to send one to your son,' '' Stephen Bradford recalled.

The Bradfords got an autograph from Madsen, expressed their appreciation and thought nothing more of it. Once Madsen's first uniform went into the laundry, they figured, he would realize the need to keep the other one.

Well, either the Staples Center washing machines work faster than we thought or Madsen knows the value of a true fan. For shortly thereafter, in a giant shoe box delivered to Stephen Bradford's law office, arrived a Lakers purple-and-gold road jersey and shorts, signed, ``To David: Mark Madsen, #35, Mad Dog.''

Enclosed with the uniform were some other Lakers souvenirs and a note thanking David for his interest and urging him to do well in school.

It is a gesture of kindness not lost on David - who smiles as he struggles to keep the oversized uniform from falling off his small frame - nor by his parents.

``I think he's just a very innocent and naive kind of guy and I don't think he's used to having a fan club,'' Jane Bradford said. ``We like Mark because he's a real good role model and it's very cool that he did this.''

So while others cheer the exploits of Shaq and Kobe, David Bradford wears his No. 35 Lakers uniform with ``Madsen'' on the back and waits for the day his hero is one of the team's leaders. He will be wearing that uniform Jan. 3, when his father takes him to Staples Center to watch the Lakers play the Utah Jazz.

If they get close enough to the court, maybe Stephen Bradford can get the attention of Madsen on the Lakers bench and let him see the smile he has brought to his son's face.

``My mom said, 'You're the only kid in the whole world who has this,' '' David said, pointing to his Madsen jersey.

You couldn't put a better gift under the tree this morning.

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Photo: Another of Mark Madsen's No. 35 Lakers jerseys is safely in the hands of 11-year-old David Bradford of Pasadena.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press