Lesson learned.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was recently coaxed into revealing insightful information about the development of players such as Kwame Brown and Jordan Farmar.

He told an audience of about 475 people at the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission's Basketball 101 event at the Staples Center last week that Brown wasn't always a quick study in strategy, while Farmar is developing quickly as an offensive player.

Current and former Lakers participated, including assistant coaches Kurt Rambis, Tex Winter and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar along with Michael Cooper, Derek Fisher and Lakers vice president Jeanie Buss.

About 100 of those attending showed up early so they wouldn't miss a minute of the 5 p.m. event. Tickets went for $550.

"Nowhere else have I seen people in L.A. show up early and line up before the event," said Kathy Schloessman, president of the commission.

Bill McDonald of KCAL (Channel 9) served as moderator of the panel discussion that got Jackson talking.

"We appealed across the board with current Lakers players and greats like Kareem," Schloessman said. "We couldn't fit anymore people on the court!"

Staff reporter David Nusbaum can be reached at [phone], ext. 236, or at [e-mail].