SHOWCASE FOR BRYANT; YOUNGSTER STEPS IN TO LEAD LAKERS PAST ROCKETS : LAKERS 99, HOUSTON 91.

Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer

When at last the extended offseason of woe ended, and the NBA turned away from its labor war and the end of the Michael Jordan era, it figured to be a while, perhaps years, before the league's future would come into focus under a new star.

But impatient Kobe Bryant didn't wait for his cue. And Shaquille O'Neal didn't wait for anything, period.

Unusual events felled two Lakers starters Friday, and suddenly, Bryant was making his first career opening-night start, and under the most intense of spotlights. Against the Hall-of-Famer-heavy Houston Rockets. Against Scottie Pippen.

And Bryant being Bryant, he wasted no time asserting himself, scoring 25 points to lead the Lakers to a 99-91 victory over the Rockets at the Forum. O'Neal started slowly but finished with a team-high 30 points and 14 rebounds.

O'Neal worked over Hakeem Olajuwon, but even with his size and muscle, Shaq couldn't wrest the limelight away from the 20-year-old Bryant. He scored seven points in the first quarter, outplayed Pippen the entire game and finished with his first career double-double, adding a career-high 10 rebounds.

Pippen, who has more championship rings (six) than Bryant has career starts (two), managed just 10 points and hit 4 of 18 shots against Bryant.

``Magnificent,'' coach Del Harris said of his third-string small forward.

``It's hard to take away, when you look at Shaq's 30 (points), 14 (rebounds) and six (assists) and he is The Man, but the story I think probably has to be (Bryant). Here's Kobe coming in, starting against Scottie Pippen, and . . . nine out of 10 people are gonna give the edge to Houston on that one.''

Person No. 10, of course, would be Bryant himself.

And did we mention his three blocked shots and two steals?

``A pretty good start,'' Bryant said. ``I have a lot of things that I'm mad at myself about, but it was a good start. . . . I didn't think I was in a rhythm at all, really. My jump shot was off.''

It was hard to notice with all the fireworks he put up.

And that show upstaged other breakthrough performances for the Lakers. Derek Harper, entering his 16th season but first as a Laker, posted 16 points and seven assists off the bench, and the Lakers' big men, Elden Campbell, Travis Knight and Sean Rooks, combined to help keep Olajuwon and Charles Barkley in check.

Barkley nevertheless finished with a game-high 31 points and 15 rebounds. Olajuwon had 11 points.

The Lakers trailed at halftime 46-43 but led most of the second half. Houston pulled within four 90-86 on Barkley's seven-foot jumper with 3:11 remaining, and again 93-89 on a Barkley free throw. But the Lakers put it away with four straight free throws by Bryant.

By all rights, Bryant will probably return to the bench, if not Sunday then Monday. But it might be difficult to make that case.

Harris intends to use Bryant off the bench again this season, his third in the NBA, but the coach had no choice Friday. Starter Rick Fox is hampered by sore ankles and knees and is a question mark for Sunday's game against Utah. Robert Horry, Harris' next preferred option, was in Houston with his wife and newborn son.

Now Bryant looks to be playing Lou Gehrig to Fox's Wally Pipp. Harris has said he didn't want to start Bryant until he was ready to be the starter for the rest of his career, and he indicated Fox wouldn't lose his starting job to injury.

``Ideally, when Kobe Bryant obviously establishes himself as a guy that you just can't keep out of the starting lineup, you put him there, and he'll stay in there for the next 10 or 12 years,'' Harris said. ``That's what you would hope for, and that could happen at any time.''

Maybe it already has.

Notes: Horry's wife Keva gave birth to their second child, Robert Camron Horry, at 5 p.m. CST. He weighs 8 pounds, 11 ounces, and both mother and baby were said to be doing fine. . . . Barkley was wearing a pair of Air Jordans, with Michael's No. 23 imprinted on the heels. ``Nike said they wanted other players to wear Michael's shoes as a tribute to him,'' Barkley said, ``but I know better. They just wanted the other guys to sell his shoes for him.''

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PHOTO (Color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, wasn't intimidated by Rockets star Scottie Pippen.

Evan Yee/Daily News