Kori Ellis
02-07-2005, 03:14 AM
Spurs to hear from Malone soon
Web Posted: 02/06/2005 10:13 PM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA020705.1D.malone.822523f5.html
The Spurs may find out by the end of the week whether Karl Malone will be joining the team this season.
Malone told a California newspaper on Sunday he's close to making a decision on whether to sign a free-agent contract with the Spurs and resume his 19-year NBA career. Malone became a free agent in July while in the process of rehabilitating a knee injured while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals.
Malone addressed the situation with the Spurs the morning after a Saturday meeting with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and forward Tim Duncan over dinner in San Antonio.
Malone described the meeting as enjoyable and candid.
"I asked them some straight-up questions," Malone told the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "and I got straight-up answers. I'm going to talk it over with my wife (on Sunday) and have a decision by the end of the week."
The Spurs have made no secret of their interest in signing Malone.
Popovich said the Saturday meeting was arranged because Malone's desire to play has grown in recent weeks as his knee began to get stronger. He said Malone looked to be in great shape, perhaps even thinner than when he played last season for the Lakers.
Malone reassured Popovich during the meeting that he would not sign with any team unless he believed he was physically able to play effectively.
"(We told him) we don't want him to come in and rehab for two months and be able to play four minutes a game," Popovich said. "He was very honest and said, 'I have no intention of doing anything close to that. I wouldn't think of coming back if that's all I could do.'
"He's feeling real good about the knee and just has to decide if he's got the juice to continue to do this. He's not a halfway guy. He doesn't want to do this until he's going to give it his all and really be into it, mentally. He's just too much (of) a team guy to do it any other way."
Popovich said he tried to ease concerns expressed by Malone that his presence might harm the Spurs' team chemistry.
"He doesn't want to disrupt anything," Popovich said. "He doesn't want people to be mad at him. He wants to feel welcome. He wants to be part of it, because he's beginning to get the fire for it as his knee gets healthy. But he doesn't want to screw anything up."
After 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, Malone endured a soap opera last season with the Lakers, whose biggest stars, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, feuded almost all season.
"I don't know (if we eased his fears)," Popovich said. "We told him those were all great concerns. But we've got great people and I think everybody would handle it because of the class he has and the player he is, if he could play."
Popovich said it was important that he and Duncan get to know Malone better before deciding to add him to a team that owns the NBA's best record this season.
"He's a wonderful guy, even though he's been our archrival all these years," Popovich said. "He's a good man and we had a good time. (It was) a familiarity thing, get to know each other and see what he's thinking, see what the Spurs are thinking and see if it's a fit, see if it makes sense. We'll take a little time and reflect on the meeting and figure out what's going to happen."
Popovich said he is pleased to hear Malone's promise to make a decision by the end of the week.
"There probably should be a deadline," Popovich said, "a point at which this just doesn't make sense — and we're getting close. Exactly what day that is I don't know. But we're getting close."
Web Posted: 02/06/2005 10:13 PM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA020705.1D.malone.822523f5.html
The Spurs may find out by the end of the week whether Karl Malone will be joining the team this season.
Malone told a California newspaper on Sunday he's close to making a decision on whether to sign a free-agent contract with the Spurs and resume his 19-year NBA career. Malone became a free agent in July while in the process of rehabilitating a knee injured while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals.
Malone addressed the situation with the Spurs the morning after a Saturday meeting with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and forward Tim Duncan over dinner in San Antonio.
Malone described the meeting as enjoyable and candid.
"I asked them some straight-up questions," Malone told the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "and I got straight-up answers. I'm going to talk it over with my wife (on Sunday) and have a decision by the end of the week."
The Spurs have made no secret of their interest in signing Malone.
Popovich said the Saturday meeting was arranged because Malone's desire to play has grown in recent weeks as his knee began to get stronger. He said Malone looked to be in great shape, perhaps even thinner than when he played last season for the Lakers.
Malone reassured Popovich during the meeting that he would not sign with any team unless he believed he was physically able to play effectively.
"(We told him) we don't want him to come in and rehab for two months and be able to play four minutes a game," Popovich said. "He was very honest and said, 'I have no intention of doing anything close to that. I wouldn't think of coming back if that's all I could do.'
"He's feeling real good about the knee and just has to decide if he's got the juice to continue to do this. He's not a halfway guy. He doesn't want to do this until he's going to give it his all and really be into it, mentally. He's just too much (of) a team guy to do it any other way."
Popovich said he tried to ease concerns expressed by Malone that his presence might harm the Spurs' team chemistry.
"He doesn't want to disrupt anything," Popovich said. "He doesn't want people to be mad at him. He wants to feel welcome. He wants to be part of it, because he's beginning to get the fire for it as his knee gets healthy. But he doesn't want to screw anything up."
After 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, Malone endured a soap opera last season with the Lakers, whose biggest stars, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, feuded almost all season.
"I don't know (if we eased his fears)," Popovich said. "We told him those were all great concerns. But we've got great people and I think everybody would handle it because of the class he has and the player he is, if he could play."
Popovich said it was important that he and Duncan get to know Malone better before deciding to add him to a team that owns the NBA's best record this season.
"He's a wonderful guy, even though he's been our archrival all these years," Popovich said. "He's a good man and we had a good time. (It was) a familiarity thing, get to know each other and see what he's thinking, see what the Spurs are thinking and see if it's a fit, see if it makes sense. We'll take a little time and reflect on the meeting and figure out what's going to happen."
Popovich said he is pleased to hear Malone's promise to make a decision by the end of the week.
"There probably should be a deadline," Popovich said, "a point at which this just doesn't make sense — and we're getting close. Exactly what day that is I don't know. But we're getting close."