According to the Washington Post, Stevenson responded thusly: "Are we really going to listen to a guy who said (injured Rockets center) Yao Ming would not be an All-Star in this league? I mean, really. So who cares what he has to say? Tell Charles Barkley to chill and worry about other things. Don't worry about the Washington Wizards."

COACHING CAROUSEL: According to the New York Post, ex-Jazz and longtime New York Knicks point guard Mark Jackson — a candidate to replace the embattled Isiah Thomas as head coach of the Knicks — announced on the air Wednesday that he would not return after working three seasons on the YES Network as an TV analyst for New Jersey Nets games.

"This was going to be it, anyway (on YES)," Jackson, also an NBA analyst for ABC, told the Post. "With a wife and four kids in Los Angeles, every game is a road game."

The Post also reported that an unidentified source said former Indiana executive and new Knicks basketball boss Donnie Walsh "wanted to bring Jackson in for the last Pacers' (coaching) opening last spring," but basketball operations president Larry Bird "nixed it."

Meanwhile, according to The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, ex-Jazz forward Marc Iavaroni said he will be stunned if he's not retained after this season as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies — and that he's "really kind of surprised" by speculation otherwise.

But, the paper reported Thursday, "no decision either way" has been made by team owner Michael Heisley.

Also Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks — as expected — fired head coach and ex-Jazz forward Larry Krystkowiak after just one full season.

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E-mail: tbuckleyx@desnews.com