@ spurm, nice.
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Updated: Feb. 11, 2005, 2:36 PM ET
(www.espn.com)
Agent speaks
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- Karl Malone is retiring, ending a career in which he became one of the NBA's greatest power forwards and was No. 2 on the league's all-time scoring list.
Malone
Malone, who teamed with guard John Stockton for 18 seasons with Utah to form one of the NBA's greatest duos, will announce his retirement Sunday, the Jazz said Friday.
Malone, who is 41 and underwent knee surgery last summer, is healthy and works out every day but has not played since last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the Lakers in an attempt to win an elusive NBA championship, but failed to do so despite playing with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Malone will announce his exit at a news conference at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
His agent, Dwight Manley, said Malone was "very serious" about returning to action with the San Antonio Spurs before he decided to retire.
"I can tell you he's given a tremendous amount of thought to this decision, but the specific details are best left to him to make on Sunday," Manley said.
The Jazz did not elaborate on the announcement. Speaking to reporters at the Delta Center before Friday's game against Minnesota, coach Jerry Sloan called Malone "a unique individual and I'm glad I got the opportunity to coach him."
Malone is the second-leading scorer in NBA history, 1,459 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played 18 seasons for Utah before joining the Lakers for the 2003-04 season at a greatly reduced salary, saying he wanted to win a championship before retirement.
He missed 39 games last season after injuring his right knee, and was hurt again during the playoffs, missing the last three games of the NBA Finals, all of which the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons.
Lakers spokesman John Black said Malone's retirement was no surprise.
"We wish him and his family the best ever. We've had one year with him and everyone in the organization, from the front office staff, fellow players, coaches, everyone really enjoyed having Karl around for that year," Black said. "He was a real addition to our team last year in helping us get to the NBA playoffs."
Malone opted out of his $1.65 million contract after last season, making him a free agent. He and his family have homes in Newport Beach, Calif., and Salt Lake City.
Malone was a key factor in the Lakers' victories over the Spurs in last year's Western Conference semifinals and Minnesota in the conference finals.
Manley had said in October that his client wasn't ready to play but that if he returned, it would only be with the Lakers.
That changed late last year after Malone was accused by Kobe Bryant of making a pass at his wife. Malone, through Manley, denied the accusation and apologized to Bryant and his wife for any remarks she might have considered inappropriate.
Stockton, who with Malone formed the famed pick-and-roll tandem, retired after the 2002-03 season.
