Young Wilkes already familiar with big time

Victoria Sun

Thursday, July 25, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

Omar Wilkes began playing pick-up games with Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and other former Los Angeles Lakers when he was 8 years old.

One of his fondest memories was sitting on his mother's lap while watching thousands of people charge onto the floor of the Great Western Forum when the Lakers won the 1988 NBA title.

As the 6-foot-4 guard will attest, there are many advantages to being the son of former UCLA and Lakers great Jamal Wilkes, a three-time NBA all-star with four championship rings.

"It's been a great experience," Wilkes said at the Big Time Tournament. "That's all I know. I can't compare it to anything else.

"Most kids say, 'You're so lucky.' I mean, I don't take it for granted but it's nothing that special to me because I've been around the NBA since I was little. Being around Magic, Norm Nixon and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), that's not exactly normal for a kid."

Special, too, are his basketball skills which were on display this week. Playing for Pump N Run (Calif.), Wilkes scored 18 points and had three assists in a 111-61 drubbing of Palo Verde at Valley High School.

Throughout the tournament he has shown why Kansas, Stanford, Cal, UCLA and Southern Cal want him.

UCLA fans would love to see the smooth scorer, who will be a senior at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, wear a blue and gold jersey like his dad. But Wilkes is keeping his options open.

"It's not that I don't want to go there," he said. "I wouldn't mind following in his footsteps. That's not too much pressure on me, I can take it.

"But I also wouldn't mind carving my own niche because I feel I have the talent to do so. A lot of people assume I'm going to UCLA because of my dad, but he doesn't put pressure on me to go there at all. He wants it to be my decision."

The elder Wilkes played 12 seasons in the NBA and was the 1975 rookie of the year.

"From the womb," Wilkes said of his introduction to basketball. "I've been at games ever since I was little.