Jamaal Tinsley needs some heavy-duty counseling from former NBA point guard John Lucas, who went through everything over-indulged athletes experience away from the game and was so intrigued by the circumstances, he went through it again and again. Lucas used to say he just kept floating down that river in Egypt ... better known as Da Nile. But it all came to light one summer day when he thought he was on his way to a road trip as the point guard for the Rockets six weeks after the season had ended.

So he put on his sports jacket and tie, his game shorts, socks and sneakers.

"Can you imagine what I looked like dressed like that," Lucas said. "I was stopped by a transvestite and she told me that I had some issues that needed to be cleaned up."

That's not to say Tinsley needs a transvestite to put him on the straight and narrow, but you would think with all the issues he's had in his life, that he'd realize nothing good can happen in downtown Indianapolis between 3 and 4 in the morning.

But once again, Tinsley is under the klieg lights and the Indiana Pacers are helpless but to hope he's learned his lesson. You see, around 3:40 a.m. Sunday, Tinsley and his friends (while rolling in his Rolls Royce, Mercedes and Dodge Charger) were getting taunted by some not-so-nice guys at a club outside downtown Indy. They opted to leave the scene and go to a downtown hotel, presuming it would be safer.

Who'd have thought they'd be wrong? Shots were fired by both groups, excluding Tinsley. His brother James Tinsley did, however, and Pacers equipment manager Joey Qatato was shot in both elbow by one of the bad guys.

Of course Tinsley feels horrible about Qatato and is contrite about making the same stupid mistake, "again." Worse is, Pacers coach Jim O'Brien says he won't be punished and wasn't doing anything wrong because the other guys caused the fracas.

Theoretically, O'Brien is right.

Realistically, that's ludicrous.

Of course Tinsley has every right to be in any public area. This is a free country, which is why the thugs have every right to be out too. And that explains why he was wrong ... potentially dead wrong. This is his third major incident in 14 months at a club in the middle of the night. He has been suspended, fined, indicted. He's not a stupid kid. He'll be 30 in February. He's a street-wise millionaire and a major target for jealous punks who play with guns the same way we used to play with Frisbees - and in this case it was a .223 assault rifle. Those weapons can hurt, as Qatato's now badly battered elbows can attest.

What we're left with is trying to figure out what Tinsley doesn't understand about the ills of 3:40 a.m. when alcohol, drugs and guns are involved. There is a culture clash of jealousy going on that has those who didn't make it off the street getting even angrier about those who did make it - especially when they see them flaunting their riches - say, like a Rolls, Mercedes and a Charger.

So let me spell it out for you Jamaal: Beware of your new friends, and be wary of the old ones. If you still don't get it, head down to Houston and check in with Lucas. He'll give it to you straight. If you want to party in the middle of the night, it's probably not too much of a stretch to presume that you've got a home that would be do just fine for late-night parties. Invite whomever you want. But maybe, just maybe, you could send just about everybody home by say, uh, 1 or 2 on a school night?