LAKERS NOTEBOOK: RAMBIS INJURED IN FALL.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis tore open his leg and severed a muscle during pregame activities Wednesday night at Continental Airlines Arena.

He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, treated and released, and returned by halftime of the Lakers' 94-92 loss to the New Jersey Nets.

``I may be done for the year,'' Rambis joked as he limped toward the team bus after the game.

Rambis, playing his usual game of one-on-one with Mark Madsen, chased after a loose ball and crashed into a row of folding chairs along the baseline. He bled profusely until medical staffers were able to wrap up the wound.

``I must have slipped on something and hit some blunt object in the chair,'' he said.

Rambis suffered a laceration of the anterior tibialis muscle and needed sutures to repair the damage. He also took six stitches to close the exterior wound and received a tetanus shot. Recovery time will be about six weeks but only should impact Rambis' on-court activities.

Rambis is the second Lakers assistant to be taken by stretcher from an arena this season. Tex Winter had to be hospitalized in Philadelphia on Jan. 27, when he choked while eating a postgame meal.

--Jordan done: Michael Jordan was a surprise visitor on the Lakers' team plane before takeoff Tuesday night in Washington. But Jordan, whose team was boarding a nearby charter to Milwaukee, gave no indication during his chat with coach Phil Jackson that his season was over.

Jordan, who scored a career-low two points against the Lakers, decided Wednesday to save his sore knee and shut down for the rest of the season.

``You could see it coming by the way he played (Tuesday), that it was a struggle,'' Jackson said. ``At this point, trying to beat a dead horse in this situation, trying to get in the playoffs, takes probably the best effort Mike can give at this time, and he just doesn't look like he's got that.''

Of Jordan's performance against the Lakers, Jackson said he ``was a shadow of himself. The decision is probably the correct decision to make at this time.''

He wouldn't speculate on Jordan's possible return for another season but said this season's comeback ``was terrific.'' He called the Wizards' Jordan-led run at a playoff spot ``miraculous.''

``It was an inspiring effort, especially for those of you guys that are 40 years old,'' Jackson said.

--Mentoring: Kobe Bryant said his relationship with Jordan is as Jordan described it - no longer one of student and teacher but friends.

``It's changed. It's more to the point where we just talk to each other and see how one another's doing,'' Bryant said. ``That's pretty much it. In the past, I really used his advice to kind of get me out of difficult situations and look to him for guidance. Now I'm on my own, I guess.''

Bryant hasn't sought out Jordan's advice since last season, he said.

As for another comeback, Bryant said he supports whatever Jordan decides.

``I'd like to see him come back and do whatever makes him happy,'' he said. ``If playing basketball for another year is really what he wants to do, then there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to overcome a knee injury.''