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Special delivery Malone delivers his view of the NBA
Updated: Wednesday December 06, 2000 12:09 AM
Karl Malone's place in the Basketball Hall of Fame is already secure, but his legend continues to grow. On Tuesday, Malone passed Wilt Chamberlain and moved into second place on the all-time scoring list. At age 37, the Jazz superstar shows no signs of slowing down, but he is speaking out against the current state of the NBA. He talked with CNNSI.com's Mark Morgan. Mark Morgan: When will you know that it's time to retire? Karl Malone: When I know that it's time to retire is when I can't run the floor, when I don't demand the double or the triple team and when they stop calling the plays for me. Morgan: As you look at the West now: Portland is loaded, the Lakers are loaded, San Antonio adds Derek Anderson. Do you almost look at those teams, even though you're a competitor, and go, 'You know what? We might have had our best shot three or four years ago.' Malone: Nope. Uh-uh. I would say this -- if you as a team underestimate our team shame on you, because we're going to be ready to play and we're going to play you. I'm not saying we're going to win, but we're going to compete every night. Morgan: Is the NBA better or worse than when you came in? Malone: Worse. Morgan: Why? Malone: It's not team any more. It's all individual and that's something they created. I can remember going to the All-Star Game seven or eight years ago, and the whole slogan was 'Out with the Old, In with the New.' You know, 'Out with the Old, In with the New.' I went last year, 'Out with the Old, In with the New.' You know, what are you telling the guys that have played the game? You're saying you're a has-been, accept it and go on? And to me, people come to see teams play. A lot of guys are not proud. A lot of guys are proud of what their paychecks look like. A lot of guys are proud of what commercial they can get and all those things. And that's what's wrong with the league right now. Morgan: Do you feel like players like yourself and John Stockton, your teammate, guys who have been in this league a long time, in their late 30's, are under appreciated? Without question? Malone: We're always, 'Oh, by the way the Utah Jazz, those wily veterans.' But if we're not winning it's, 'Ah, they're too old.' We don't talk about we're under-appreciated. We realize that we have an approach to the game that's different than a lot of people. We believe in doing it the old-fashioned way and trying to get it done. We're not a lot of hoopin' and hollerin' kind of guys. We believe we can still play this game and we're going to try to play. And I can guarantee you one thing: As long as No. 12 and 32 are on this team, we're going to be competitive every night. I can guarantee you that. Morgan: You had a recent incident with Christian Laettner and were fined by the league. What was that whole incident about? And again, it raises the question, some guys in this league have said that Karl Malone is a dirty player. Malone: I don't [care] what those guys say. A lot of guys say that, but that's their job because they have made this league into a little girls' league where you can't touch guys. Back in the day when I came into the league, you fought for everything you got. Now they want to give it to people. No one's going to give you anything. You don't like me, I don't like you. Why do we even shake hands when we walk out there? Let's just get ready to play.
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