FOURWARD MARCH CHAMPIONS PROMISE TO WIN 4TH TITLE IN A ROW.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

The Lakers had about 36 hours to celebrate their third consecutive NBA title in private before meeting their adoring but demanding public in Friday's championship parade.

``Everybody out there was holding four fingers up,'' a smiling Brian Shaw said after reaching the end of the two-mile parade route. ``That didn't take long.''

The three-peat is now history. As the Lakers strolled up to the microphone on the makeshift stage outside Staples Center, almost all of them made reference to being in the same place next year, which would mean a fourth consecutive title.

``Quad-row'' was the buzzword along Figueroa Street, a hybrid of ``quatro,'' the Spanish word for ``four,'' and the team's quest for a fourth title in a row.

Mark Madsen told the crowd in Spanish, ``We're going for four,'' then, egged on by Chick Hearn and his teammates, briefly reprised his infamous dance moves from last year's celebration before he was tackled and hugged by Kobe Bryant.

``I'm calling it a four-feat, not a four-peat, because it would be incredible to do it,'' said coach Phil Jackson, who twice won three consecutive titles with the Chicago Bulls but both times was denied a ``quad-row'' largely because of Michael Jordan retirements.

That won't be a problem this time. Bryant and O'Neal each declared their motivation to win a fourth title, with O'Neal starting the war of words already by taking a shot at Sacramento and calling Los Angeles ``the new capital of California.''

``We will be back next year,'' O'Neal told the crowd. ``We want to get No. 10 for Phil Jackson, the greatest coach in the world.''

Jackson, with nine titles as a head coach, would pass Red Auerbach for the all-time lead with one more championship, but it's largely recognized the Sacramento Kings were, at worst, the second-best team in the league this season.

Bryant, asked what he thought about O'Neal taking shots at Sacramento and stoking their competitive fire, said, ``So what? (Let them) come and get it.''

The Lakers' players, often stoic throughout the playoff run, loosened up at the parade and gave their fans a show.

O'Neal, who usually mumbles his way through interviews, briefly took over as master of ceremonies when Hearn forgot to introduce three players, and drew howls of laughter from teammates when he held the championship trophy to Shaw's shiny bald head and said, ``Look, we already have four trophies.''

Even the introspective Jackson appeared at ease, even though he skipped the parade to avoid the afternoon heat and instead gave a lengthy interview to Fox Sports Net as his players boarded the buses.

Jackson said he received a congratulatory letter from Auerbach, notable since the men exchanged words through the media during the NBA Finals after Auerbach insinuated he was a more talented coach than Jackson.

``Red, when you (see) this, thanks a lot,'' Jackson said with a smile and what seemed to be a genuine tone of voice as he looked into the camera.

Jackson said he would spend most of the summer at his offseason home in Montana but said he also intends to get in better shape and ``go down to Del Mar and see the horses run.''

Jackson even addressed a comparison between Bryant and Jordan, a topic he largely has shied away from during his three seasons in Los Angeles.

``On a competitive level, he's very close,'' Jackson said of Bryant. ``Michael had an advantage in that he had a system in college, a defensive system that he learned at North Carolina and could rely on, and Kobe never had that.

``But Kobe has caught up, and might have passed Michael (when comparing them) at the same age.''

Jordan also made a habit of appearing in parades in mid-to-late June, and Bryant honored him by wearing a No. 23 Chicago jersey before Game 4.

At the parade, however, Bryant sported his own No. 8 shirt, the light-blue retro Minneapolis Lakers jersey the team wore once during the regular season.

``Kobe is the greatest player in the game,'' O'Neal said. ``I told him to stop wearing other people's jerseys and start wearing his own jersey.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Shaquille O'Neal laughs at remarks from Lindsay Hunter during the Lakers' championship celebration Friday at Staples Center.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

(2) Lakers fans wave to the players from the parade route, above, and Rick Fox holds up the NBA championship trophy at Friday's event downtown.

Steven Georges and David Sprague/Staff Photographers