Katie Couric’s guest-hosting stint on ‘Good Morning America’ came off with nary a hiccup. Despite a six-year absence from the a.m. game, she seamlessly picked up where she left off at “Today,” displaying the goofy humor and warmth that made her a star.

She laughed. She danced. She cracked wise. What’s not to love?

Did we say love? Like a shark at a shipwreck, “GMA” is moving in for the kill against “Today.” With only 137,000 viewers separating them, according to the latest Nielsen ratings, “GMA” is counting on a week of Couric to end her alma mater’s 16-year dominance.

In response to ABC’s massive promotion, “Today” announced last week that Monday’s show would feature a “legend.” (I’m a big Meredith Vieria fan, but she hardly fits the category.) Sarah Palin guest hosts tomorrow; irony abounds. It was Couric, then with CBS, who derailed Palin in ’08 by asking the vice-presidential candidate what newspapers she read.

ABC made sure Couric’s visit was treated by her colleagues like a coronation. Her co-hosts were positively giddy, and every correspondent welcomed her. At 7:21 a.m., she told an adoring George Stephanopoulos that she was “starting to relax.”

Couric did several taped bits about her return to morning TV, beginning with one in which she ran around her apartment in her jammies and drank endless cups of coffee to stay awake for her debut. In another, her driver mistakenly took her to NBC before heading to ABC’s Times Square studio.

The most blatant, self-serving skit revolved around Couric’s love fest with ABC’s hit “DWTS,” now in Week 3. She camped around backstage with host Tom Bergeron. She lusted for mucho-macho

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The Storied series will debut Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU with Herschel, on former University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker. The second documentary is slated for December and will focus on the first SEC football championship game. The one-hour Storied documentaries will re-air on ESPN or ESPN2.

“We pride ourselves on our dedication to storytelling,” said John Dahl, executive producer, ESPN Content Development. “The SEC’s rich, layered history certainly lends itself to a series of this kind. We look forward to sharing these captivating stories with SEC fans.”

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While NBA commissioner David Stern thinks so, the Miami Heat forward disagrees.

“I think it’s great,” James said. “Another NBA season, another great year for everyone. Everyone that’s a part of it. You’ve seen fans love the game of basketball once again. So if I had anything to do with it, which I don’t; there’s too many players, there’s so many great players I don’t think individually I had anything to do with it. Just trying to do my part.”

You’re far too modest, LeBron. continued…

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Not a sports show mind you, but a comedy show.

When I asked what he would want to do, he said he has one idea firmly in mind. “Honestly? I would love to do a Dave Chappelle-type show,” he said.

Shaq’s very own sketch comedy show. And he wants to write and act in it. So, network execs, if you think Shaq can bring the funny, here’s your chance to go get him.

As Grossman notes in the column, O’Neal is a seriously funny dude, so a sketch comedy show might actually have a shot at being watchable.

Grossman also asks O’Neal about “The Decision,” the ESPN program starring his former teammate LeBron James:

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