"I came outside afterward, and they were all standing outside — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and all these ex-Laker players. And Jack's standing right there in the middle of them," said Hundley, who got his start in broadcasting as a partner to Hearn with the Lakers.

"Beautiful day. Sun's out. About 85 degrees," Hundley recalled as if it were yesterday. "I walked up there to (Nicholson), and I said, 'Hi Jack, I'm Rod Hundley with the Utah Jazz.' And he said, "(Expletive) Hot Rod.' Gave me a little dirty word. Then he high-fived me. I said to myself, 'Jack Nicholson knows who I am. I can't believe it."'

Now the two talk like long-lost friends, especially during halftime of Jazz-Laker games.

"He wants to talk about the Lakers, and what he's thinking about the game," Hundley said. "I think he's the best there in the business. I tell him that too — 'You're the best.'

"And he just laughs."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com