Ticked at Kobe Malone might not return to L.A.

Heuge

Heuge

Starter
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1940902

Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Karl Malone has ruled out a return to the Los Angeles Lakers because of comments made by Kobe Bryant in a radio interview, Malone's agent said Tuesday.


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[size=-2]Malone[/size]

"Karl is furious," agent Dwight Manley said. "He felt very disrespected and betrayed after personally being the first to stand up for Kobe over the last year throughout his rape charge and all he went through."

Manley said remarks made by Bryant on Monday, coupled with what the agent called "recent personal attacks made in private," led Malone to his decision.


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[size=-2]Bryant[/size]

Asked if Malone might play elsewhere, Manley replied: "This certainly opens up that possibility."



Bryant told XTRA on Monday he didn't believe Malone, who is recovering from knee surgery, would come back to the Lakers, calling it "just intuition."



"It's not really fair to hold it over the guys' heads that are here," Bryant said. "The guys that we have here are working hard, practicing hard every day. It's kind of tough for them to be looking over their shoulder, wondering if he's going to come back and then everybody is going to disappear.



"They are here giving me 110 percent. It's really not fair for us to sit around and speculate how long this is going to go on. I mean, you can't sit up here and speculate for the remainder of the season whether or not he is going to come back. I mean, that's not fair to the guys that are working here."



John Black, the Lakers' public relations director, said the team would issue a statement later Tuesday.



Malone, 41, told the Lakers on Oct. 1 he was still recovering from arthroscopic surgery he underwent three months earlier on his right knee and wasn't ready to play. But he didn't rule out returning at some point this season or beyond.



Malone, the second-leading scorer in NBA history, opted out of his $1.65 million contract following last season, making him a free agent.



After playing 18 seasons for the Utah Jazz, Malone joined the Lakers before last season in search of his first championship. He took a pay cut of about $18 million to sign for $1.5 million.



"Karl sacrificed financially to come to L.A., he sacrificed personally," Manley said. "He put his name and reputation on the line, put his arm around Kobe and said he was a good kid, tried to be his friend, told people to give him the benefit of the doubt.



"And now, basically, to get stabbed in the back, that's how he feels. This has ended any possibility of Karl returning to the Lakers in any capacity."



Malone and Bryant live about six blocks apart in Newport Beach.



Manley said his client is fully recovered from knee surgery and 100 percent physically.



"Karl will have something to say, probably in the next month or so, about his future," Manley said. "It will likely be after the first of the year. I'm personally crossing my fingers that he decides to play."



Several teams, including San Antonio, Minnesota and Miami, expressed interest in Malone during the offseason.



While with the Lakers, Malone was one of the few players who was close with both Bryant and O'Neal. Bryant signed a $136.4 million contract last summer to remain with the Lakers while O'Neal was traded to Miami.



Malone played in 1,434 of a possible 1,444 regular-season games with the Jazz, but missed 40 games with the Lakers -- 39 after tearing a knee ligament Dec. 21 against Phoenix.



He returned in March and played a key role as the Lakers reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Detroit Pistons in five games.



Malone reinjured his knee in Game 2 of the finals, was limited in Games 3 and 4 and didn't play in Game 5. The Lakers lost the last three games.



Malone had played in 193 straight playoff games with the Jazz and Lakers before having to sit out the last game of the finals.



Considered one of the best power forwards in NBA history, Malone averaged a career-low 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 42 games last season, leaving him with career averages of 25.0 points and 10.1 rebounds.



His 36,928 points in 1,476 games trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who finished his career with 38,387 points in 1,560 games.
 
Just more proof, IMHO, that Kobe is so insecure that he will do whatever it takes to keep any real talent away from "his" team.

I would not be at all surprised to see Malone end up in Miami.

Kobe Bryant has no class whatsoever.

"They are here giving ME 110 percent. It's really not fair for us to sit around and speculate how long this is going to go on. I mean, you can't sit up here and speculate for the remainder of the season whether or not he is going to come back. I mean, that's not fair to the guys that are working here."
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Gee, Kobe, and how fair was it to the rest of the Lakers when your future was really in doubt? They stood behind you. Malone was injured! Hello? It's not like he did something stupid and was facing criminal charges or something.

I'm sorry and I should censor myself, because we don't talk about the Kobe trial, his actions off the court, etc. In this case, however, I believe his hypocrisy in the whole Malone deal is completely and totally transparent. If Malone returns, Kobe might have to share a bit of the spotlight and I don't think he's willing to do that.

...

Heuge - In answer to your question, "Nope."
 
Heuge said:
"It's not really fair to hold it over the guys' heads that are here," Bryant said. "The guys that we have here are working hard, practicing hard every day. It's kind of tough for them to be looking over their shoulder, wondering if he's going to come back and then everybody is going to disappear.

"They are here giving me 110 percent. It's really not fair for us to sit around and speculate how long this is going to go on. I mean, you can't sit up here and speculate for the remainder of the season whether or not he is going to come back. I mean, that's not fair to the guys that are working here."
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Well, that's Kobe!;)
 
If Malone does play anywhere, call it a hunch but I'm almost positive he'll go to Miami to be with the former Laker who hasn't dissed him in the media, etc. In fact, Kobe's comments might fuel the Heat, too...
 
"They are here giving me 110 percent.".....Kobe Bryant

Yeah, I picked up on that word too, VF. It really says it all. Kobe Bryant is probably the most arrogant player in the history of the NBA. But, you know, I believe in Karma and I have not doubt that his arrogance is going to come back and bite him in the a**.

With his attitude, don't be surprised if more and more players refuse to play with the jerk. Playoffs for the Lakers? I think that they just might miss out in Kobe's 1st "my team" year. Now wouldn't that be poetic justice?
 
What would be poetic is if the Clippers make the playoffs and the Lakers don't. I mean, i never thought I'd see the day when the Clippers and Lakers have the same record except for 0-0 :D
 
Overblow much? Kobe has done a great job of taking over for Bill Clinton. Every word of his comments get parced because Malone has one of his patented overreactions. He said nothing disparaging about Malone and his comments were supportive of his teammates. As for "me", he was asked a direct question. Anyone else but Kobe and that wouldn't have registered a blip. And notice that he said "us" in the next line.

Ha. This building storm is numbing and that's saying something coming from a Laker fan. This is what Kobe gets for deciding to talk to the media again. Two interviews and bam! He is good.
 
Gargamel - Oh please. You act as though it would be totally out of character for Mr. Bryant to say anything in the least bit selfish, or self-centered, or egomaniacal, etc.

He said, "They are here every night giving ME 110 percent." Face it, if Webber makes the same comment, the Laker fans begin frothing at the mouth in glee. He could just as easy, in fact, have said, "They are here every night giving 110 percent." The ME puts him above everyone else. Nice TEAM thought.

Look at Mr. Bryant's comments again:

"It's not really fair to hold it over the guys' heads that are here," Bryant said. "The guys that we have here are working hard, practicing hard every day. It's kind of tough for them to be looking over their shoulder, wondering if he's going to come back and then everybody is going to disappear.

"They are here giving me 110 percent. It's really not fair for us to sit around and speculate how long this is going to go on. I mean, you can't sit up here and speculate for the remainder of the season whether or not he is going to come back. I mean, that's not fair to the guys that are working here."
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How is Malone's possible return to the team affecting how they play NOW? Or is it even about anyone else on the team?

"It's not really fair."

"It's really not fair."

"I mean, that's not fair."

I think we get it. Kobe doesn't think it's fair that Karl Malone might come back to the Lakers and steal some of his thunder.

What a shame. It's really not fair, you know...
 
oh boy the word i've been hearing is that he'll go to the spurs. that would be the best place to ride coattails to win a ring.

i'll root against the team he goes to. i'd like to see him retire ringless.
 
Gee if I did not know better I'd think Kobe was a back stabbing prima dona wiht no loyalty to any one except Kobe. But I am sure his wife and teamamates will set the record straight.
 
::shakes head::

i used to defend Kobe to an extent in the past...but when the Shaq comments came out in the summer...i officially washed my hands of the guy....he's a good ball player and all but what goes around comes around and he's gonna get his...don't worry
 
LAL: We know Drama

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke8dec08,1,6923801.column?coll=la-headlines-sports

December 8, 2004

Bill Plaschke: Bryant's Laker Legacy Becoming a Shove Story


Karl Malone answered the phone at his Arkansas ranch with a sigh.

It was late, he was tired, and he could explain.

Earlier Tuesday, he had read a transcription of Kobe Bryant's statements that essentially likened Malone's redwood of a comeback attempt to an irksome splinter.

Malone was so upset, he worked a stair climbing machine for an hour.

"At level 14," he said. "I mean, I was blindsided."

And now it is the Lakers who have been sucker-punched, losing their most credible locker room presence and strongest inside force for a most familiar reason.

Karl Malone says he will not be returning to the Lakers because of Kobe Bryant.

For those keeping score at home, the kid just won the alienation triple crown


"The bottom line is, Kobe Bryant doesn't want me to play for him, and it's his team," Malone said. "You've got to be wanted, and he doesn't want me there."

On the surface, Bryant's radio comments do not seem to warrant such strong reaction. But don't be fooled. This is about more than that.

Bryant's words represented only a final shove, with Malone speaking as if Bryant had been pushing him out the door for weeks.

"When I see that situation there, I would love to play with those young kids, are you kidding me?" Malone said. "But when your main player doesn't want you, I don't have time for all that."

There has been talk of how, unlike some teams that have phoned Malone every day, Bryant rarely spoke to Malone during his rehabilitation from knee surgery, even though they live only blocks apart.

When they did speak recently, according to agent Dwight Manley, their conversations were not pleasant.

Malone, an old-fashioned sort who refused to publicly criticize Bryant, is clearly not thrilled that Bryant speaks as if he is the team's player-coach, talking about his teammates "giving me 110%."

Also a sensitive sort, Malone undoubtedly wonders why Bryant has not publicly supported him the way Malone was often the only player who publicly supported Bryant amid the sexual assault allegations.

Their issues culminated, according to Malone, when he was read Bryant's statements on the "Loose Cannons" show on XTRA radio.

"He doesn't want me here, he made that known today, he told me through the press," Malone said.

Among other things, Bryant said of Malone, "I don't think he's coming back."

Malone says he feels great and could return soon, with the leading candidate now reportedly being the San Antonio Spurs.

Bryant also said of Malone's comeback, "It's not really fair to hold it over the guys' heads that are here…. It's kind of tough for them to be looking over their shoulder, wondering if he's going to come back."

Bryant sounds as if Malone were holding out instead of working out. He acts as if waiting for Malone wasn't worth the effort.

The truth is, when Malone is ready, Bryant should agree to carry him to Staples Center on his back, because Malone's presence is — or was — the only way these Lakers have a chance to make any noise in the playoffs.

"No disrespect to anyone, but this wasn't an equipment guy saying this," Malone said. "This was the player who you gave your franchise to. I can read between the lines."

The Lakers were quick to separate themselves from Bryant's comments, highly unusual for a family organization that unconditionally supports its players, but good for them.

"Kobe did not at any time state that Karl was not returning, nor was Kobe speaking on behalf of the Lakers management or organization," the statement read.

Too late. Too bad. In this instance, Malone is going to be as intractable as he is under the basket.

While some Bryant backers will be quick to call Malone a baby, anyone who hung around the Lakers last year knows that he was one of the few who was decidedly not a baby.

He ignored every little pain. He willingly faced every question. He publicly backed every teammate.

It was his first year on the team, but he was already its leader, and even owner Jerry Buss believes the Lakers would have won the championship if he didn't finish the season with an injury.

And about Bryant's feud with Shaquille O'Neal? Malone was the only one who didn't take sides, and still won't.

"I look at the whole scenario, and the whole thing could have been done differently, by everybody," he said.

He will, however, say one thing about the fallout.

"I don't want to throw daggers at anyone, but I would have quit my job before I traded Shaquille O'Neal," he said. "I would have been unemployed before I would trade him, and that's all I'll say."

When O'Neal left, it took him more than a week to officially thank the Laker fans.

Malone did it Tuesday without even being asked.

"I don't care about the money I made there, it was nothing compared to what the Laker fans gave me every time I walked off that court," he said. "I love them. I appreciate them. And I want every one of them to know it."

A third future Hall of Famer, a third farewell, these goodbyes getting as old as Kobe Bryant's act.
 
Why is there always some kind of drama in LA??? We won like 9 out of 10 games and people still talk about the wolves being the toughest team even with unknown cassell/sprewell condition......Kobe stabing Malone from behind, like he always do, and they talk about it all day long......
talk about stealing the spotlight...:mad:
 
Drama sells. Who cares about a win streak when we can have multi-millionaire athletes going at it in an acrimoninious controversy over power and control.
 
Bricklayer said:
The Spurs getting Malone would be...unfortunate.
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Yup... I]And I ain't thrilled about the idea of seeing him in a Wolves jersey either. let us hope that the powers that be in Florida have SOME input.
 
Manley said his client is fully recovered from knee surgery and 100 percent physically.



"Karl will have something to say, probably in the next month or so, about his future," Manley said. "It will likely be after the first of the year. I'm personally crossing my fingers that he decides to play."
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So, Malone is 100% recovered, but he is going to wait until after the first of the year to decide where to sign? Gee, I wonder if he goes to the team with the best record at that point?
 
You know, the sad thing here is depsite Kobe's usual icky me-me-me approach, there may have been a kernel of truth to what he said. It is Malone who has truly been unfair here, making no committment while the guys on the Lakers have been doing their best. I certainly wouldn't reveal the depths of my egocentrism the way Kobe has, but on the other hand I most definitely WOULD resent the hell out of a guy thinking he's so special that he's going to sit over on the sideline and decide whether to bless our team with his presence or not, or whether he'd rather go carpetbag over to the next contender.
 
I've never been a Malone fan, but I think what has gone on here is truly pathetic for the Lakers, their fans, and - in essence - any fan of NBA basketball.

Kobe Bryant is a spoiled, petulant child who cannot bear to share the spotlight with anyone... If the Lakers go down in the early rounds of the playoffs, which I firmly believe they will IF they even make them, they will know exactly who to blame.
 
VF21 said:
I've never been a Malone fan, but I think what has gone on here is truly pathetic for the Lakers, their fans, and - in essence - any fan of NBA basketball.

Kobe Bryant is a spoiled, petulant child who cannot bear to share the spotlight with anyone... If the Lakers go down in the early rounds of the playoffs, which I firmly believe they will IF they even make them, they will know exactly who to blame.
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Well, actually I think the Lakers may be better off in the long run. Getting Malone back was really kind of pointless anyway. They weren't going to win a title with him or without him, so all he was going to do was steal minutes from their young guys who need to develop and gel, and maybe cost them a few draft positions too. There just comes a point when you're out of contention and revuilding with youth where it really behooves you to fully accept that and truly commit to the rebuilding. Think clinging to the Mailman at this point is just clinging to the past for no good reason.
 
I'm not just talking about Malone. I'm really talking about the whole future of the LA Kobes. He's not going to change; he's not going to allow anyone or anything to get more limelight than he does. He talks as though the team is already his - with no mention of Dr. Buss, Rudy T., or anyone else. There's a line from "Top Gun" that I think is applicable, "His ego is writing checks his body can't cash."

I certainly agree that the young Lakers need to develop and gel. I just question whether or not Kobe Bryant should be the one setting the example for them to follow, especially where team dynamics, player interaction, sharing, etc. are concerned.
 
Gargamel said:
Overblow much? Kobe has done a great job of taking over for Bill Clinton. Every word of his comments get parced because Malone has one of his patented overreactions. He said nothing disparaging about Malone and his comments were supportive of his teammates. As for "me", he was asked a direct question. Anyone else but Kobe and that wouldn't have registered a blip. And notice that he said "us" in the next line.

Ha. This building storm is numbing and that's saying something coming from a Laker fan. This is what Kobe gets for deciding to talk to the media again. Two interviews and bam! He is good.
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I really don't like Kobe, Malone, or the Lakers in general, but I tend to agree with Gargamel on this one. I get the impression that had Kobe said anything less than "I want Malone back as soon as possible, he is the man" his comments are gonna be miscontrued to something they are not. Just because he is an arrogant spoiled kid who is a social introvert doesn't make him a bad guy in everything he says. If it wasn't for that "me" slip, this wouldn't be such a big deal at all. You take out the "me" and block out the name, and I guarantee you those comments could of been said by half of the current Lakers squad. Think about it, Karl opted out of his contract, he hasn't made any public or private commitment to the Lakers. The speculation is something that young players who are trying to develop don't need. You think Chris Mihm doesn't think about Malone coming back and cutting into his minutes? What about Lamar Odom? He is trying to develop his game even further playing with arguably the best all around player in the game today. History has shown, with every NBA team, that off the court issues and stress are not conducive to players' success. Especially young players. While I dont condone the things Kobe said, I do believe the media is blowing this way out of proportion.

I don't even wanna get into Malone's reaction, as that really isn't that important to me.
 
Bricklayer said:
You know, the sad thing here is depsite Kobe's usual icky me-me-me approach, there may have been a kernel of truth to what he said. It is Malone who has truly been unfair here, making no committment while the guys on the Lakers have been doing their best. I certainly wouldn't reveal the depths of my egocentrism the way Kobe has, but on the other hand I most definitely WOULD resent the hell out of a guy thinking he's so special that he's going to sit over on the sideline and decide whether to bless our team with his presence or not, or whether he'd rather go carpetbag over to the next contender.
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But Gargy, Lamar and KA PROMISED Malone would NOT go to another team! He was asure thing for the Lakers I thought (sarcasam)!
 
I just can't wait to read Lakerfans reactions after Malone signs with Minny/San Antonio. You know, the same ones who glorified him just a season ago for taking a paycut, for showing that it's not all about the money, blah blah blah? Maybe now that Malone will be riding on the coattails of other HOFers, instead of those that they support, Lakerfans will start to see Malone for who he truly is.

And Kobe just doesn't cease to amaze me. He could take some lessons in maturity from Lebron, you know, the guy whose like 8 years younger than him?
 
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