07-01-2004, 12:04 PM
Source says Mailman will call it a career
By Howard Beck
Staff Writer
Karl Malone, whose two-decade pursuit of an NBA championship ended in pain and frustration last month, has undergone knee surgery and plans to retire, a source close to the legendary forward said Wednesday.
A lock for the Hall of Fame, Malone leaves the game as the second-leading scorer in league history, but without the one token that drove him for 19 seasons and moved him to join the Lakers, at a massive pay cut, last summer.
Malone's quest for a championship ring was thwarted by the Detroit Pistons, who crushed the Lakers in the Finals in June, and by a severe knee injury that put Malone on the bench for the decisive fifth game.
Malone did not immediately return a message left on his voice mail Wednesday. His agent, Dwight Manley, also declined to return calls. A Lakers spokesman referred inquiries to Manley.
Malone badly sprained his right medial collateral ligament early in Game 2 of the Finals. Hobbled and forced to wear a brace, he played sparingly the rest of the way.
Without his heart and hustle, the Lakers lost the final three games, and Malone was denied a championship for the third time. His prior two trips to the Finals, in 1997 and 1998, ended in losses to the Chicago Bulls.
After missing just four games because of injury in 18 years, Malone's lone season with the Lakers was marred by two nearly identical injuries to his right MCL. The first, in December, was diagnosed as a sprain but later was revealed to be a tear. He avoided surgery, but missed 10 weeks of the season.
He returned in mid-March and played with verve, but the knee was never at full strength. It finally gave way again in the Finals. This time, Malone opted for surgery to repair the ligament. Though he is done with basketball, Malone leads an active life on his Arkansas ranch and had said he wanted to make sure the knee was sound.
With a lengthy recovery ahead -- and the Lakers' foundation trembling under the weight of Shaquille O'Neal's trade demand and Kobe Bryant's free agency -- Malone decided it was the right time to walk away, the source said.
He turns 41 on July 24 and has spoken often of his desire to spend more time with his family, particularly after the death of his mother, Shirley, last summer.
It was Malone's arrival last July, for the cut-rate salary of $1.5 million, that renewed the Lakers' championship hopes after they were dethroned by the San Antonio Spurs. And it was Malone's monetary sacrifice that enabled the Lakers to sign Gary Payton, creating the most star-studded lineup in recent history and inspiring visions of a 70-win season.
Injuries and cramped egos instead defined the season, and though the Lakers won 56 games and reached the Finals, their season was generally viewed as a disappointment. The Fab Four played only 39 games together.
Malone is the first of the quartet to go. He had already opted for free agency but had left open the possibility of re-signing with the Lakers if the circumstances were right and the money was there. Instead, the Lakers will be free to spend their midlevel exception, about $5 million, elsewhere.
Malone, who built a Hall-of-Fame resume in 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, posted career averages of 25 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He scored 36,928 points in his career, second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387.
By Howard Beck
Staff Writer
Karl Malone, whose two-decade pursuit of an NBA championship ended in pain and frustration last month, has undergone knee surgery and plans to retire, a source close to the legendary forward said Wednesday.
A lock for the Hall of Fame, Malone leaves the game as the second-leading scorer in league history, but without the one token that drove him for 19 seasons and moved him to join the Lakers, at a massive pay cut, last summer.
Malone's quest for a championship ring was thwarted by the Detroit Pistons, who crushed the Lakers in the Finals in June, and by a severe knee injury that put Malone on the bench for the decisive fifth game.
Malone did not immediately return a message left on his voice mail Wednesday. His agent, Dwight Manley, also declined to return calls. A Lakers spokesman referred inquiries to Manley.
Malone badly sprained his right medial collateral ligament early in Game 2 of the Finals. Hobbled and forced to wear a brace, he played sparingly the rest of the way.
Without his heart and hustle, the Lakers lost the final three games, and Malone was denied a championship for the third time. His prior two trips to the Finals, in 1997 and 1998, ended in losses to the Chicago Bulls.
After missing just four games because of injury in 18 years, Malone's lone season with the Lakers was marred by two nearly identical injuries to his right MCL. The first, in December, was diagnosed as a sprain but later was revealed to be a tear. He avoided surgery, but missed 10 weeks of the season.
He returned in mid-March and played with verve, but the knee was never at full strength. It finally gave way again in the Finals. This time, Malone opted for surgery to repair the ligament. Though he is done with basketball, Malone leads an active life on his Arkansas ranch and had said he wanted to make sure the knee was sound.
With a lengthy recovery ahead -- and the Lakers' foundation trembling under the weight of Shaquille O'Neal's trade demand and Kobe Bryant's free agency -- Malone decided it was the right time to walk away, the source said.
He turns 41 on July 24 and has spoken often of his desire to spend more time with his family, particularly after the death of his mother, Shirley, last summer.
It was Malone's arrival last July, for the cut-rate salary of $1.5 million, that renewed the Lakers' championship hopes after they were dethroned by the San Antonio Spurs. And it was Malone's monetary sacrifice that enabled the Lakers to sign Gary Payton, creating the most star-studded lineup in recent history and inspiring visions of a 70-win season.
Injuries and cramped egos instead defined the season, and though the Lakers won 56 games and reached the Finals, their season was generally viewed as a disappointment. The Fab Four played only 39 games together.
Malone is the first of the quartet to go. He had already opted for free agency but had left open the possibility of re-signing with the Lakers if the circumstances were right and the money was there. Instead, the Lakers will be free to spend their midlevel exception, about $5 million, elsewhere.
Malone, who built a Hall-of-Fame resume in 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, posted career averages of 25 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He scored 36,928 points in his career, second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387.
