BRIGHT FOX PICTURE; LAKER WORKING EXTRA HARD ON SET AND COURT.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

Rick Fox, ever the forward-thinking forward, spent his summer busily planning for life after basketball, even as he prepared for potentially the best years of his Lakers career as a vital cog in new coach Phil Jackson's system.

The results of the eight-year veteran's offseason work could fill the average resume.

Under the ``professional basketball'' heading, he added a long-term contract, for six years and $24 million.

Under ``personal/family,'' he added a wife, singer-actress Vanessa Williams, and her three children.

And under ``education,'' Fox needed a ream of paper to chronicle his studies, which included introductory work in the triangle offense and film production 101.

It was no easy balancing act.

In preparation for Jackson's offense, Fox spent weeks working with Lakers assistant coaches and teammates at a health club in Manhattan Beach and with strength coach Jim Cotta on his conditioning.

But when he wasn't strengthening his body, Fox was flexing his brain and planning for his post-NBA future.

In August, he spent two weeks on the set of ``Four Faces of God,'' a 20-minute film. Not in his role as a promising part-time actor but as executive producer. It's the latest step in Fox's steady transition from basketball player to Hollywood player.

The 12-hour days on the set, which followed three-hour workouts, were almost as grueling as a postseason tilt with the San Antonio Spurs.

``It was a tough two weeks,''' he said. ``There's no way you can be a basketball player and a fulltime producer. One is going to suffer.''

Fox couldn't pass up the opportunity, though. His roles in the HBO drama ``Oz'' and parts in movies like ``He Got Game'' have fueled a passion for film that nearly rivals his love of basketball. When friends Anthony and Dallas Hartman presented Fox with the script for ``Faces of God,'' he jumped at the chance to fund it. It's since been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival.

So Fox created ``17 Productions'' (named for his jersey number), partnered with Galilay Entertainment and producer Greg Palumbo and hired another friend, Jack Gilardi Jr. (a producer on current release ``Mystery, Alaska'') to direct. Thus began his education for a post-NBA career.

``I approached the project in two ways: one, helping my friends, and two, gaining experience, kind of like going to school,'' Fox said. ``I don't have time to go to film school, but this was an opportunity to be behind the scenes as opposed to in front of the camera, and get a greater understanding of the industry.''

As producer, Fox provided the funds and the budget. As a celebrity in his own right, Fox also opened some doors in obtaining talent and resources. But after that, his primary role was that of student, and he was hands-off on the set.

``He has been an incredible student. He gets an A-plus,'' Gilardi said. ``He's a perfectionist. . . . He never claims to know; he's here for a learning process and has been very supportive.''

It's really no different an approach than Fox has taken on the court, whether adapting to a new role, from starter to reserve, or learning the triangle offense. His aptitude for Jackson's system has earned him high marks from Lakers coaches, and he'll probably play starter's minutes as a reserve at both big guard and small forward.

Fox has brought a similar intensity to both areas of his life.

``I'll tell you this much - I feel the stress of this in a different way but as I would in basketball,'' Fox said in August on the set at Lacy Street studios.

If all goes well this year, Fox could parlay one passion into a championship ring, his other into an Oscar.

``That's what you shoot for, whether you're a rookie or a 10-time All-Star, you still want to win a championship,'' he said. ``It's about being part of a team, it's putting together and creating a project and seeing it come to life. There's a lot of gratification and hard work and at the end of the day, the end of the month or three months, or in the case of basketball nine months, having your work reflect in something like a championship. And looking back and saying, wow, that was a year of my life, and look at what I have to look back on.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

PHOTO (1 -- color) Producer Rick Fox, center, talks on set of independent movie with partner Greg Polumbo, left, and director Anthony Hartman.

(2) Lakers forward/film producer Rick Fox, right, consults with his director, Anthony Hartman, on the set of ``The Four Faces of God.''

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer