LAKERS IN HAWAI'I: KARL MALONE
Change of scenery is 'refreshing' for Malone

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Three days into his first training camp with the Los Angeles Lakers, Karl Malone said he felt like he was the one getting the bargain.

Lakers forward Karl "The Mailman" Malone delivers an autograph to 5-year-old Abby Phillips at Bellows Air Force Station, where the team met military families. Associated Press

"I've been playing ball 30 years and never experienced anything like this," said Malone, 40. "It's refreshing. This is just an awesome feeling. I'll keep this in the back of my mind for the rest of my life."

To understand the significance of that statement is to understand the greatness of the player nicknamed "The Mailman."

Malone is a 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward and a surefire Hall of Fame player. Through his first 18 seasons — all with the Utah Jazz — Malone has scored 36,374 points (an average of 25.4 per game).

Only former Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has scored more points (38,387). Malone also ranks seventh all-time with 14,601 rebounds.

In July, he finally left Utah and signed with the Lakers for the bargain price of $1.5 million for this season. It was a clear sign that Malone was chasing a championship over money.

Malone has played in the NBA Finals twice, but has never won an NBA championship.

"I never put (money) to the side, don't get me wrong," said Malone, who made more than $19 million with the Jazz last season. "If I could have come here for $10 million, I would have. But this is where I wanted to be. I gave people my word ... other teams came and offered whatever. I couldn't renege on what I had said and I don't regret it because my word is what I have."

He said it is a lesson learned from his mother, who died in August.

"I think as a person, it will change me forever — you're talking about the person who gave me life," he said. "There's not a day goes by I don't think about her. I'm going to play as long as I can for her."

The Lakers have been training in Honolulu since Tuesday. Malone and other veteran players joined the camp Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers and their superstar guard, Kobe Bryant, left, made an appearance at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo yesterday, meeting with selected enlisted people and their families. Bryant, who faces sexual-assault charges in Colorado, came out on the court to dribble the ball with military children and the Lakers' Jannero Pargo, right. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Those "guys" include three other future Hall of Fame players in Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton.

"Those guys (Malone and Payton) are Hall of Famers, but they're hungry for (a championship)," O'Neal said. "They have nothing left to prove in their careers. They just want to win."

Malone is the oldest player on the Los Angeles roster. The youngest, Jamal Sampson, was 2 when Malone played his rookie season with the Jazz.

"If I can keep running the floor, if I can be one of the first guys down the floor ... those are my signs," he said. "When they start waiting on me, you guys (in the media) won't have to tell me. I'll be the first to know.

"I'm 40, but that's fine. I'll take this 40 any day."

He proved that during last night's practice at the Stan Sheriff Center, beating several of his younger teammates downcourt for easy layups during scrimmage drills.

Still, Malone admits that he has not quite grasped all the intricacies of the triangle offense run by Lakers head coach Phil Jackson.

Prior to attending training camp, Malone said he watched hours of film of the Lakers' offense. But he soon learned that real time does not always follow reel time.

"And the first day I got to camp, I said what in the world is this," he said. "So I said forget it, I have to start from scratch."

Jackson added: "Karl has the most difficult time because he had a very structured offense and he ran it for 18 years consistently with Utah."

In any case, the low-post combination of Malone and the 7-foot-1, 340-pound O'Neal will be a heavyweight load for every Lakers' opponent.

"Me and Karl already have a pact that if I'm going to rebound, he's going to run (down court)," O'Neal said. "If he's going to rebound, I'm going to run. You have two big, strong guys down there. It's going to be fun."

• Team bonding: Head coach Phil Jackson said he wanted to visit Bellows as a surprise for his players. The players got dressed for a morning practice and were not told that they were going to play paintball instead.

"We want them to have some occasions to be together in situations that are not all basketball, but still let them grow a little bit as a group," Jackson said.

Star guard Kobe Bryant added: "It teaches teamwork, it teaches communication, obviously, it's camaraderie. A bunch of little things that bring our team closer together."

After the paintball game, the Lakers had lunch with a select group of Air Force personnel.

"I'm from Los Angeles, so I'm a big fan," said senior airman Louis Gudiel. "It's a real treat to have something like this."

Said Lakers forward Karl Malone: "I have the utmost appreciation for the armed forces. How can you thank them? This right here is just a drop in the bucket."

• Kobe might not play: Kobe Bryant once again sat out of scrimmage drills yesterday and his status is still uncertain for exhibition games against the Golden State Warriors tomorrow and Wednesday.

• Wednesday only: Tickets for tomorrow's games are apparently sold out, although no official announcement has been made.

According to etickethawaii.com, no seats are available for purchase for tomorrow's 8 p.m. game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Tickets priced at $22 and $30 are still available for Wednesday's 6 p.m. game.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.