HAIR RAISER CHATSWORTH'S OSBORNE KNOWN FOR 'DO, FAMOUS SINGING FATHER AND HIS JUMPERS.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON

Staff Writer

The name is household for any old school R&B fan. The hairdo is straight Kid'n Play, circa 1991, and the feathery jump shot a throwback to a time when basketball was defined by subtle skills, not loud, thunderous dunks.

When it comes to style, Chatsworth High standout Jeffrey Osborne is as retro as it gets.

Just don't make the mistake of talking about his hair. Opposing fans have done it all year, and Osborne, the son of platnum pop singer Jeffrey Osborne, keeps making them pay.

"The more everyone yells at me about my hair, the more it motivates me," Osborne said. "I think it makes me focus more on my game."

The 5-foot-11 Osborne is averaging 17.5 points, with most of the damage coming from long range. Osborne has hit 66 3-pointers this year, making him one of the top outside shooters in the region.

All this serves as fair warning to visiting Gardena (14-8) in Thursday's 7 p.m. City Section first-round playoff game. Do your best to shut down the sharp-shooting Osborne if you can, but leave his hair out of it because the kid is a lot like Samson.

His father, famous for chart-topping hit songs such as "You Could Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)," agreed.

"My son used to change his hair all the time -- kind of like the flavor of the week -- but since he's stuck with the flat-top this season, he's taken a lot of heat, but that just seems to fuel his fire," the elder Osborne said. "I think he likes the attention."

When he's not in a barber's chair, Osborne usually can be found in Chatsworth's gymnasium, perfecting his jump shot from various deep angles.

"Jeffrey is just an extremely hard worker who's spent countless hours in the gym," coach Scott Switalla said. "He's obviously a leader on this team. He was All-City last year, and he'll be All-City again this year. He can shoot."

Osborne has been at his best against elite competition this season. He scored 26points in an opening victory over Orange County power Troy of Fullerton, followed by 27 in a loss to annual playoff competitor Marin Catholic, and 29 and 27 against City Section contenders Sylmar and Taft of Woodland Hills.

Against Taft, Osborne made seven 3-pointers.

"My role is to be a leader and to make sure the offense runs smooth and that our team is on the same page," Osborne said.

The 5-foot-11 guard teams with Michael Palarca (18.3points, 7.0 assists) to give West Valley League champion Chatsworth one of the section's premier backcourt combinations. They both reached 1,000 career points in a victory over Cleveland of Reseda twoweeks ago.

"We're an unstoppable one-two punch," Palarca said.

Osborne's father, who often has sung the national anthem at Lakers games through the years, coached his son as a youth and tries to catch as many Chatsworth games as possible when on break from a steady touring schedule.

"My problem is I'm on the road a lot," he said.

The father can't remember the last time he was able to take his son one-on-one.

"I guess it was probably before his first year of high school," the elder Osborne said. "That's when he really started opening up. By now, he's a pretty accomplished player."

Osborne's mother, Sherri, is a dedicated team vounteer who even has her own office on campus.

She regularly cooks team dinners -- a weekly highlight for a hungry group of teenage athletes.

"Last Friday, it was chili with corn bread, and I think that was the best meal so far," Palarca said.

The longer Chatsworth stays around in the playoffs, the more team meals they'll enjoy. It's good motivation, and with favored Taft now precluded from the playoffs because of eligibility issues, the Chancellors just might have a chance to make it all the way to the championship game in the L.A. Sports Arena.

If that happens, perhaps Jeffrey Sr. will sing the national anthem. He -- and his hot-shot son -- probably would love nothing more.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The elder Jeffrey Osborne has a successful singing career and has performed the national anthem before many Lakers games, including at the Forum.

(2 -- color) The taunts from opponents about his hairstyle fuel Chatsworth's Jeffrey Osborne. "I think it makes me focus more on my game," he said.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer