antoher dirty play by the mailman

[thewillis12]

By David Aldridge
Special to ESPN.com

This is ridiculous.




Not suspending Karl Malone for Game 3 for his elbow to Darrick Martin's noggin gives aid and comfort to every Looney Tunes wing-nut conspiracy theorist who thinks it's preordained that the Forum Blue and Gold will be the West's representative in the Finals. No fewer than two coaches and three personnel guys at the Detroit-Indiana series had the same reaction within seconds of hearing that the league was only fining Malone $7,500: You know who they want in the Finals.


How can I counter that argument?


Believe me, I want to.


I know how hard the refs work, and when they do make mistakes, it's because they're human beings, not because they have a Nassau on the road team. I know the commish always points out that fixing games is a felony that would subject a lawyer such as himself to disbarment. But how on earth can Malone skate when the Kings' Anthony Peeler did the exact same thing to Kevin Garnett eight days ago, and (rightly) was deactivated for two games -- including the decisive Game 7 of the Minnesota-Sacramento series? I don't think Malone should have gotten two games, but he had to get one.


Look, I love Karl Malone. He's one of the great players of all time and he's on the short list of the most decent people to have graced a court. He has almost always been generous with his time to most reporters. (He wouldn't talk before games sometimes, but if you waited him out after a game, you got really good stuff.)


But what he did Sunday was vicious and unnecessary, with the game having long since been decided. It certainly looked like Malone was trying to either send a message for Game 3 or finish what had become a chippy fourth quarter for both teams. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't recall Martin instigating anything, and even if he did, he's a 6-foot, 190-pound guard.


I would not feel so strongly about this if the league A) hadn't been so adamant over the years about condemning any contact above the shoulder, whether it came from a punch or an elbow. The league's various chieftans of discipline have all said the same thing: windup, contact and follow-through are a flagrant foul, subject to suspension. And even if there's some question about whether to suspend a guy, this brings me to B).


The league always says that patterns of behavior are taken into account when disciplining players; i.e., if you do something once, you get disciplined X. You do something twice, you get disciplined X-plus. And so on. This escalating scale certainly seemed to be in place (correctly) with Dennis Rodman and Dikembe Mutombo. How many times over the years have we seen The Mailman hit somebody in the head? Isiah Thomas, Steve Nash, Brian Grant and David Robinson come to mind. Every time, Malone is utterly unrepentant, and that's his right. But the league shouldn't condone that kind of behavior.


I'm sure if I called Stu Jackson, he'd give me a rational, detailed reason why Malone gets to be introduced by my man Lawrence Tanter at Staples on Tuesday in the starting lineup. But this time, I don't buy it.


In this case, I'll believe my lying eyes.

David Aldridge, who covers the NBA for ESPN, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. Also, click here to send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.



how is it that the nba allows for this to happen. it is very clear on who the nba wants in the finals after a dissapointing TV rating last year.

[MavKikiNYC]

Not suspending Karl Malone for Game 3 for his elbow to Darrick Martin's noggin gives aid and comfort to every Looney Tunes wing-nut conspiracy theorist who thinks it's preordained that the Forum Blue and Gold will be the West's representative in the Finals.

But how on earth can Malone skate when the Kings' Anthony Peeler did the exact same thing to Kevin Garnett eight days ago, and (rightly) was deactivated for two games -- including the decisive Game 7 of the Minnesota-Sacramento series? I don't think Malone should have gotten two games, but he had to get one.

Did I miss something? I saw the Malone body check to Martin, and the replay a couple of different times from different angles, but I didn't notice contact to the head. There's a big difference to what I think I saw Malone do to Martin, and what Peeler did to Garnett.

Again--did anyone else see Malone make contact with Martin's head? Or has Alrdridge gone overboard?

[mavs413]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
Did I miss something? I saw the Malone body check to Martin, and the replay a couple of different times from different angles, but I didn't notice contact to the head. There's a big difference to what I think I saw Malone do to Martin, and what Peeler did to Garnett.

Again--did anyone else see Malone make contact with Martin's head? Or has Alrdridge gone overboard?

It looked to me that the contact was made to Martin's throat or right below it, but I believe Malone was aiming at the head.
I think Malone should have been suspended 1 game for this. It was obvious he knew what he was doing, and he has done this a couple of times before.
Peeler hit a star.
Malone hit a nobody.

[raefformvp]

anybody have a link where I can see the hit? I hate Malone on the court. Off the court, he seems like an okay guy; on the court, pure thug! He does have one of the nicest 40 year old bodies I have ever seen though! oops, I digress...

[Murphy3]

Remember when Malone took a vicious shot at dirk in the playoffs when Dirk went up and drilled a three?

[dalmations202]

Garnett - vs - Peeler : Who gets suspended...........not the star.
Malone - vs - Darrick Martin : Who gets suspended ...........not the star.

I am one of the Looney Tunes wing-nut conspiracy theorist........I believe that it is rigged by the officiating, and the league. It is a business, and they want to maximize profits by putting on a "show". Just like in movies, there are lots of special effects. Let's let them happen, as long as what is done does not effect the bottom line. Everyone here knows that the Lakers in the Finals will be a better TV draw than the TWolves. There needs to be drama, and because it is sports, they can't make it obvious (although there was game 6 of Sac/LA a few years ago), but they definately can steer it in a specific direction. They have been doing that for years.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally posted by: dalmations202
Garnett - vs - Peeler : Who gets suspended...........not the star.
Malone - vs - Darrick Martin : Who gets suspended ...........not the star.

I am one of the Looney Tunes wing-nut conspiracy theorist........I believe that it is rigged by the officiating, and the league. It is a business, and they want to maximize profits by putting on a "show". Just like in movies, there are lots of special effects. Let's let them happen, as long as what is done does not effect the bottom line. Everyone here knows that the Lakers in the Finals will be a better TV draw than the TWolves. There needs to be drama, and because it is sports, they can't make it obvious (although there was game 6 of Sac/LA a few years ago), but they definately can steer it in a specific direction. They have been doing that for years.

Add to that: Sprewell-vs-Fisher: Who gets suspended?...not the one-time star, current sidekick to KG. In fact, he doesn't even get the foul called on him. Fisher takes the shot to the head, Latrine gets the FTs. That whole bass-ackward call, courtesy of Steve Javie, set the tone for the rest of the game, IMO. Javie, Spooner and whoever the 3rd one was came so dangerously close to letting the game get out of hand, that they had to over-react with that flood of technicals in the 4th.

Malone probably deserved the ejection, but that's as far as it should go, IMO. It was a physical game, and there was a lot of contact delivered from both sides. If Javie et al had done a better job of controlling the game starting early on, it most likely wouldn't have gotten so crisp late in Q4. Before the league held Malone out, I'd prefer to see them keep Javie on the sidelines for the rest of the series.

[chumdawg]

You can say what you want about the Mailman (and you'd probably be right), but don't you think he's a guy you would love to have on your side? Tough, tough competitor.

[MavKikiNYC]

As far as contact goes, I think Karl lives by better-to-give-than-to-receive, for sure.

[MavsFanatik33]

I wish I would have seen this play, how blantant was it?

[mavsman55]

I am tired of seeing this bull crap from Karl Malone. I'd love nothing more than to see somebody knock the daylights out of him with a vicious elbow.

[dalmations202]

MAILMAN GOES POSTAL

I was watching Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, and I have to tell you something. I've always admired Karl Malone. I know he plays physical and throws his body around. I was always the first person to defend him for that. But this time, I can't. That shot to Darrick Martin's throat was just chicken s---. For lack of a better word.

Listen, I know emotions are part of the game, but isn't part of that knowing how to control your emotions? Use your head. You're a veteran, a sure Hall of Famer.

The beauty of it is that Martin made the free throws and Minnesota won the game. I know Malone took less money to come to L.A. because he only wanted to win. Yeah, I've heard the same damn speech from everyone who's ever switched teams. Here's a question for Malone: If you want to win so badly, shouldn't you try to stay in the game? I didn't see Shaq or Kobe trying anything like that.

That didn't send a message about anything. His explanation that he was retaliating for a hit Latrell Sprewell put on Derek Fisher earlier in the game was lame. First of all, that wasn't a hit. It was a pick, and it was clean. Second, why the hell do you go after Martin? You're trying to tell me Sprewell wasn't available? Hey, Karl -- why do you always go after the little guy?

Malone's lucky he is who he is. Look what happened to Anthony Peeler. Guy elbows the league MVP in the conference semis, and he's gone. Kicked out and suspended. Since Malone is Malone and Martin is Martin, this ends with a $7,500 fine. Got to protect those stars. Can't have the ratings go down.

After all he's done in the league, Malone didn't send any message in that game. Well, one message: He's a Hall of Fame cheapshot artist.

John Kruk is an analyst for ESPN's "Baseball Tonight."

[MavKikiNYC]

As Sun Sets on a Career, Malone Brings a Ray of Light
By CHRIS BROUSSARD

Published: May 30, 2004


MINNEAPOLIS, May 29 — It makes sense, really. Karl Malone, a 40-year-old who has seen it all and done it all, has become the elder statesman of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sure, the Lakers began rolling three weeks ago toward their fourth N.B.A. title in five years because Shaquille O'Neal found a renewed interest in playing defense, his teammates made a renewed effort to pass him the ball and Kobe Bryant suddenly fell upon the perfect mix of individualism and teamwork. But who got through to the Lakers?

Who was in their ears after practice, on the team bus, slyly making suggestions, putting them at ease, building camaraderie? Malone. Deftly maneuvering the volatile ground that separates O'Neal and Bryant, Malone has become a big brother to them, making the Lakers feel more like a team than a collection of mercenaries who may accomplish the mission yet despise the journey.

Has anyone noticed the fun the Lakers have been having?

During their 92-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, O'Neal was posturing jovially after dunks and rebounds, Bryant and Malone were chest-bumping each other, and the ornery Gary Payton was smiling.

"I think that has a lot to do with the playoffs coming around and everybody sensing that this is the time of year that we've been waiting for," Bryant said after Game 4. "When you have a goal, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, something more immediate to play for, and the game becomes more fun."

It was certainly no fun when the Lakers were down by 2-0 to San Antonio in the conference semifinals, or even when Houston was giving them all they wanted in the first round. But then Malone, who lives near Bryant in Newport Beach, Calif., took their friendship to another level. A large part of Malone's motivation is doing what is best for the team, but he is also concerned about Bryant's mental state during pretrial hearings in his sexual-assault case in Colorado.

"I've had a lot of fun with Kobe the last two weeks," Malone said. "A lot of it's just been him because really and truly with his situation, you don't know what could happen. So I sit back there by him on the bus, and I kind of know when he's in a mood to talk, and I kind of let him be the one that can initiate the conversation."

In Bryant's eight seasons with the Lakers, several teammates have perceived him to be distant and selfish, and few have been able to break through to become friends. Even Malone's first impression of Bryant was not good. In the 1998 All-Star Game, Malone bristled when the 19-year-old Bryant waved him off as Malone was trying to set a pick for him.

But now, in less than a season, Malone and Bryant have become close. Malone knew he had gotten through at the beginning of this series when Bryant described a pack of players as a herd.

"What really got me the other day, and I still laugh about it, was that he used a country phrase that I never thought he would use," Malone said.

On Thursday night, after the Lakers moved within a victory of the finals, Malone said he would give up the chance to win his first title if it would get Bryant out of his current legal situation. "That means a lot," Bryant said. When asked if Malone had become like a big brother to him, the 25-year-old Bryant laughed and said, "More like a father."

"Karl's and my relationship has been great," Bryant said. "We're practically neighbors. We joke around with each other a lot, talk about the game a lot, about life."

Malone's relationship with Bryant has done nothing to hinder his friendship with O'Neal, 32. They first hit it off on the 1996 Olympic team.

"I started off hating him, to liking him, to really liking him," O'Neal said of Malone. "Now he's like that elder statesman of the N.B.A. team that I never had."

Malone said the discord between O'Neal and Bryant had never affected his relationships with them.

"They're two different people, and it's amazing that you deal with them two separate ways," he said.

Malone's success with the Lakers off the court does not diminish his contributions on it. His defense against Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, the league's two most recent most valuable players, has been crucial to the Lakers' revitalization. Even in Saturday night's 98-96 loss, which narrowed the Lakers' lead in the series to 3-2, Malone had 17 points and 9 rebounds.

If he wins his long-coveted championship, he will do so as a key contributor, not on others' coattails.

It is that championship quest that led Malone to Los Angeles, not the desire to make buddies. But upon joining the team, Malone told each superstar that they had a confidant if they needed one.

"It takes people a while to trust you," Malone said. "I just told Kobe and Shaq that I'm going to be myself and that I'll be there if you need me. If you don't need me, fine. But you know where to find me."

After missing a career-high 40 games to injury this season and enduring all the Lakers' drama, Malone began dropping hints early in the playoffs that he might retire. But he said his relationships with O'Neal and Bryant, both of whom could return to the Lakers next season, would affect his decision. Last week, O'Neal approached Malone about working out together this summer. Malone said O'Neal might be trying to get him to return for one more run.

"I don't know if he's trying to hoodwink me into something, but to me, it's like he's leading me up to another question," Malone said. "I always know he's serious when he grabs my arm. So he grabbed my arm and said, `What should I do this summer? We should get together and train.' "

Whether or not they work out this summer, Malone has already taught O'Neal and Bryant plenty.

[cheesestar]

dangit, it looks like everyone's gonna stay in LA. or is this just optimism?

[ma-gaga]

[quote]
Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC

Originally posted by: dalmations202
Garnett - vs - Peeler : Who gets suspended...........not the star.
Malone - vs - Darrick Martin : Who gets suspended ...........not the star.
...
Add to that: Sprewell-vs-Fisher: Who gets suspended?...not the one-time star,

Peeler threw an elbow to Garnetts jaw.
Garnett threw a shoulder to Peerlers body.
Malone goes thru a guy that's 100 pounds lighter than him elbows up.
Fishers' teammates didn't call out the screen. Besides Spreewell's hit wasn't that bad. Now Wally threw an elbow 5 minutes later, THAT was more similar to Malones, but there's not the extreme difference in size of players, nor the viciousness.

Malone should have been tossed and suspended, but that would have been a very iffy call. Whatever, ancient history. We now get to see if Detroit can handle la.