LAKERS NOTEBOOK: MIHM TO FACE HIS OLD TEAM.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

CLEVELAND - With two nights off and a luxury suite at their disposal, Kobe Bryant, Caron Butler and several of the Lakers headed to Gund Arena to watch Friday's game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets.

One person missing, though, was center Chris Mihm, who had dinner with friends but decided against watching his former team play in person.

``I saw that they got a box but I thought sitting in the stands would have been a hassle,'' Mihm said. ``Just walking through the mall, there's still a lot of people wanting to come up and talk about the Cavs.''

Mihm spent 3 1/2 seasons in Cleveland before he was traded to Boston last December, a move that he said last month still bothered him because it took place on the road and without warning from Cavaliers management.

Not that there are too many familiar faces still around in Cleveland. The only player still remaining from Mihm's rookie season is center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, recently named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

``I'm excited about the game,'' said Mihm, who is averaging a career- high 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds with the Lakers. ``I'm ready to play. It's always a big game when you get to come back and play against your old team.''

The more things change, though, the more they stay the same. Mihm now has played for eight coaches in four-plus seasons, the total growing when Rudy Tomjanovich resigned last week and assistant Frank Hamblen replaced him.

--Zip code: Kobe Bryant didn't have much to say Saturday about the news that Karl Malone will announce his retirement today in Salt Lake City.

``He had a brilliant career, he had a long, incredible career,'' Bryant said. ``Everybody has to call it quits sometime.''

Bryant said he hadn't thought about the falling out that took place between the two in November after Bryant accused Malone of coming on to his wife during a Lakers game at Staples Center.

--No George: Forward Devean George now is bothered by tendinitis in his left knee and will undergo an MRI on Monday. George's season debut won't take place until after the All-Star break as a result.

--Wins and losses: With Tomjanovich not officially resigning until Feb. 2, the two victories under Hamblen against Charlotte and Portland still went on Tomjanovich's career record. Now Hamblen wants them credited to him.

``He got the money and that trip to Hawaii,'' Hamblen said of Tomjanovich, who was bought out of his five-year contract and treated to a vacation by Lakers owner Jerry Buss. ``He doesn't get those.''

Told he didn't seem to have much recourse, Hamblen replied, ``I'll petition.''