A SORRY APOLOGY : VAN EXEL MAKES UP WITH ALL BUT REFEREE.

Byline: Marc Stein Daily News Staff Writer

He sauntered into a cramped dressing room in the bowels of the Forum wearing a guilty grin and a dark hat.

Nick Van Exel then breathed deeply, exhaled and started apologizing. To everyone.

Everyone not named Ron Garretson.

On his much-anticipated day of atonement, Van Exel stepped in front of the cameras and microphones to seek the forgiveness of every conceivable faction associated with Lakers basketball. Team owner Jerry Buss. Executive vice president Jerry West. His teammates, his fans, his family and his shoe sponsor, too.

Van Exel even asked the first question of Thursday's news conference - ``Who else do I want to apologize to?'' - and provided a surprise response, telling his not-so-close friends in the media that he was also sorry for inconveniencing them.

As for Garretson, the referee he shoved onto the scorer's table Tuesday night at Denver?

``Right,'' Van Exel said.

``No.''

As in no apology for Ronnie G.

Only one game into a season-ending suspension that, including a league-record fine of $25,000, will cost him nearly $190,000, Van Exel caused a further stir by refusing to mention Garretson's name in his first public comments since their confrontation.

Van Exel admitted that his behavior was wholly unacceptable and acknowledged that he might have ``an emotional problem,'' but made it clear that Garretson shouldn't expect a phone call or telegram.

``I would expect an apology from him (first),'' said Van Exel, who maintains that the first of two technical fouls preceding the fateful shove was unfairly assessed by a referee harboring a grudge that dates back to the third-year guard's rookie season.

``If he apologizes to me, I'll apologize to him.''

Not surprisingly, that wasn't the answer an already-irritated West was hoping to hear.

``What Nick chooses to do, Nick chooses to do,'' West said. ``He has to accept any consequences that come with it, and I can't speak for him. (But) there's certainly things that you'd like to see handled differently, that's for sure.''

Uncomfortable as he looked under the glare of Thursday's spotlight, Van Exel was at his cocky best. He reeled off several flippant responses, starting with his opening comment to reporters: ``Well, I know you guys like this . . .''

Other highlights:

On the staggering financial loss he's facing - ``I'm not really worried about the fine because Magic (Johnson) said I can work at his theater over the weekends.''

On his harsh criticism of former co-captain Cedric Ceballos when Ceballos was suspended last month for going AWOL: ``I said some things about Cedric, but I shouldn't have said (them). He can get back at me if he wants to.''

On his intentions after receiving the second technical from Garretson: ``I didn't go back to hit him. I didn't even go back to touch him. I wanted to go back and yell at him. As I pulled away from (equipment manager Rudy Garciduenas), (Garretson) was very close to my arm. I can't see myself hitting him that hard to where he lands on, jumps on the table.''

On the length of the suspension: ``I wasn't expecting seven games. . . . I don't know if it was worse than (Dennis Rodman's) head-butt. It probably was a good Hollywood job by (Garretson).''

The Lakers, understandably, were not laughing. Van Exel had been struggling of late, averaging just 9.0 points and 4.3 assists in 28.0 minutes - on a pulled left groin - over the six games prior to his Mile High explosion. West and coach Del Harris would nonetheless rather have him around.

Instead, Van Exel can only practice and join shoot-arounds from now until the playoffs, meaning that he'll go almost three weeks between games for a club that has championship aspirations.

``We feel badly one of our (family) members is in an embarrassing situation, which also puts our franchise in a very unfamiliar, embarrassing situation as well,'' Harris said.

Said West: ``We've never been through this before. It's new to us.''

West added, though, that he fully expects the Lakers to maintain their hold on homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs against Houston and plug Van Exel back in with no problems.

Van Exel's vow: ``To my fans, the fans of L.A., especially the little kids that look up to me, I apologize to them, but we are human and sometimes we make mistakes. And I did make a big mistake and I'm paying for it now and I regret it, but I can learn from it. I can let everybody know it won't happen again.

``I told my teammates that I would make it up to them in the playoffs. I'm going to start working out, working a little bit harder and hopefully come back a little stronger. And hopefully I can get this thing behind me.''

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Photo: (color) Nick Van Exel was apologetic, at times, in d iscussing shove of referee Ron Garretson.

David Sprague/Daily News