COAST TO COAST

Happily for the entire NBA, the first order of business for newly hired Knicks President Donnie Walsh was to abandon the league’s flagship franchise’s oppressive media policy.

In the highlight, at least for security-minded fans, Chief Executive James Dolan explained that he had publicists monitor Coach Isiah Thomas because he “had no experience like he’s had in New York” and needed “somebody with him who says to him, ‘OK, you just said this, remember, you have to now go to the player’ or ‘Remember, this player said this, so be aware of that before you comment on this subject.’ ”

Dolan also had publicists monitor the players, presumably for the same reason.

A fine line between cracking down, and up

Noted Dolan, pining for his old police state: “Be careful what you wish for.”

Free Benny!

Capping a perfect season, the Bulls saw mascot Benny the Bull accused of hitting Boston’s Kevin Garnett and James Posey in the back with T-shirts shot from his air gun.

Garnett had to be led away from Benny, insisting it was intentional.

The Bulls insist videotape showed the players were actually hit by a member of the cheerleading IncrediBulls -- whose gun went off when he tripped.

“I know what I heard,” Garnett said. “I turned around and the dude [Benny] had a smoking gun in his hand.”

The dude, er, bull, is in seclusion.

“According to the Bulls officials,” wrote the Boston Globe’s Marc Spears, “Benny does not speak and conduct interviews.”

Free D-Wade!

Perhaps on the theory that the team didn’t do anything else this season, the Heat had its injured regulars -- which is all of them -- including Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion, taking telephone calls from fans interested in season tickets.

Spurning his script, Wade said, “I’m not saying all this, man. All this, they’d go to sleep. I’ll freestyle, man.”

Happily, Shaquille O’Neal didn’t last long enough for them to ask him.

Still going

Only Dikembe Mutombo can get a farewell ceremony at 41 -- which teammates insist is just an estimate -- while the Rockets try to persuade him to return next season.

A legend for his humanitarian work, Mutombo also has the charm of being totally genuine, becoming or not, making no secret of the fact he still clings to the pain of being cut and told to retire by the Knicks’ Thomas in 2004.

“My wife asked me to go shake his hand, to just forgive him,” Mutombo said. “I went and shook his hand and I told him, ‘On behalf of my wife, I want to shake your hand and I forgive you for everything you’ve done to me.’

“He said, ‘Tell your wife I said thank you so much.’ ”

Work in progress

For those (like moi) who thought Cleveland General Manager Danny Ferry’s acquisition of Ben Wallace, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak was a coup, it isn’t yet.

The Cavaliers are 9-10 since.

West, the new starting point guard, is shooting 42%.

Szczerbiak, the outside shooter they needed, is at 36%.

Wallace is averaging 8.1 rebounds but has been in and out because of back spasms.

“If this guy can’t play for us the rest of the year, so be it,” Coach Mike Brown said of Wallace.

“We still have to get better and win games because that’s what we get paid to do.”

-- Mark Heisler