Oh, the people you meet

I'm not much of a golf player. I can't even shoot par in mini golf, let alone drive a regular golf ball. But I love to take in the atmosphere of Olie and Stu's Desert Bash.

Not only does the event raise money for a good cause (autism), but the celebrity players they bring in also have hearts of gold.

In the case of Darrall Imhoff, hands the size of a catcher's mitt.

My right hand, including the inch-long red nails -- thanks to Chelsea -- disappeared into his hand when I introduced myself. I guess you don't snare 6,099 rebounds in 801 games without some sizable hands.

Imhoff played 12 years in the NBA and still dabbles in basketball.

Now, 70, Darrall still runs Portland Trail Blazers clinics for kids, but the 6-foot-10 center who once played on a Lakers team with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, can't quite motor up and down the floor as he did 40 years ago.

"I had a knee replacement about five years ago so I don't run up and down the floor anymore," he said, "but I still enjoy getting out there and putting a foul on someone. My nickname in the NBA was "The Axe," so I still have a few saved up there in the blade."

When Imhoff played for the New York Knicks from 1960-62, he said he got to know some of the New York Rangers, including Gump Worsley, one of the last goalies to play without a mask.

"I saw the way the old-timers played," Imhoff said. "I was talking to Olie about playing without a mask and he said that must have been something to see."

One item Imhoff brought to the auction was a bobblehead of Blazers forward Brandon Roy.

"People don't see much of Brandon over here," said Imhoff, an All-American at Cal. "He's an two-time All-Star and rookie of the year (2007). He's a great young man, and even though he's a Dawg, he's still a credit to the game."