Jerry Colangelo was asked if he had been contacted by Cablevision owner James Dolan. "About a month ago, word had it he was coming after you to run the whole Garden," I said between courses in the Suns' press room. "Nobody has talked to me," the Suns' CEO replied. A slight smile creased his lips as he walked away. "I heard the same thing, too."

More than two decades ago, Colangelo was, in fact, pursued to run the Knicks by Jack Krumpe. Colangelo met with the then-Garden president in New York, but decided against it, just as Red Auerbach had done several years before when Sonny Werblin came a-courtin'.

"Before you go back to Phoenix, would you mind giving me your opinion why we're so bad?" Krumpe asked.

Colangelo paused for a moment. He thought about throwing a softball answer, but shook himself off. Instead, he came with a high, hard one.

"Because people like you are doing the hiring!"

I can just hear Dolan and Steve Mills asking themselves, "What does that mean?"

*

Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh, a New York native and standout player at Fordham Prep (youngest ever, at 16, to win MVP of the Herald Tribune Fresh Air Fund All-Star Game held at the Garden) also has been prominently mentioned as the next Knicks savior.

"You will never see me in New York," he told The Mysterious J.

At least I think it was Walsh; either him or Horace Stoneham.

*

Column connivers at Slam Magazine are most dangerous when caught in the act of wondering. "Between Larry Brown's bladder problems and someone within the Knicks' diss-establishment who's responsible for releasing classified information, is it safe to say we're in the midst of one of the greatest organ-ized leak campaigns in NBA history?"

Come to think of it, something seemingly is "leaked" by the Knicks every week. The rest of the league is convinced it oozes from Isiah Thomas and/or minnow, er, minion Brendan Suhr, with his boss' blessing.

"They give it out to reporters so New York fans think they're out there working," grumped one GM on the western front who refuses to be quiet.

The latest make-believe ballroom blather claimed the Bulls had discussed a trade involving Mt. Vernon's Ben Gordon.

"Absolutely bogus!" John Paxson huffed by e-mail. "What bothers me most is the story specifically states it's been learned talks took place.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," underlined the Bulls GM, whose team owns the Knicks' first-round selection (Edwina Curry) this June, and the right to swap firsts the following draft. "I haven't spoken to anyone in that front office since last October on any trade matter.

"I found it funny the story said we were considering one of New York's elite guards. Who the hell would that be? What a joke! I like Gordon better than all of them, and he plays at a price for the next two years that makes him a bargain compared to them."

*

According to a survey, Miami ranks as the city with the most road rage. The prime culprits: Stan Van Gundy's family . . . Paul McCartney and wife are divorcing. I blame the Knicks City Dancers.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com