By MARC BERMAN

BOSTON – Lakers special assistant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, assigned to Jersey’s center Andrew Bynum, believes he’s been shunned as an NBA coaching candidate because of a trend of hiring former point guards over former centers.

Abdul-Jabbar had had just one interview on the college/NBA level – five years ago with Columbia. “I had hoped I would get an opportunity to be a head coach,’’ the Laker legend and former Power Memorial star. “That hasn’t happened. One thing it’s a real pleasure working with Bynum and I’m glad I got involved. Of course I’d entertain it but it may not present itself. They see I’m coaching. Not like I’m living up in Alaska. I think ballhandlers seem to get the job.’’

Kareem had one head-coaching gig – a year in the USBL in 2002. “Some of it has to do with I was 42 when I retired, took a few years off to deal with burnout and here I’m 45 just starting to try to coach.’’

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The beauty of Phil Jackson is he can say anything – such as his scoffing of the Willis Reed comparisons with Paul Pierce – and you can’t knock him because of his nine titles. And because Phil was there that night at the Garden, on injured reserve. That’s why I specificaly asked Jackson about Reed yesterday during the press conference, maybe the only person in the building Thursday also at the Garden in 1970. I had a feeling he would mock it as only the Zen Master can.