Karl Malone's blinking shoes may become an issue once again.
The Jazz All-Star had the lights put out on his blinking shoes in December when the league told him they were a distraction. He has played without the batteries implanted in the soles of the shoes ever since.But Malone says he plans to have the lights blinking in the heels of his signature LA Tech shoes on Sunday in the All-Star Game. But rather than the white shoes he wears with the Jazz, he says he will wear black shoes with the red lights.
How will the NBA react? "What they gonna do? Ban me from next year's All-Star game?" he said.
Meanwhile, the Mailman, who has been bothered by a sore knee, said Friday that the knee is fine.
The true value of making the All-Star team isn't in the cash paid to the participants. More precisely, being an All-Star can increase endorsement opportunities. And it never hurts to be an All-Star when it comes to renegotiating the next contract.
As for the immediate monetary rewards, making the All-Star team isn't much by relative standards. Players, head coaches, assistant coaches and trainers on the winning team receive $7,000 each, while losers get $5,000 each.
To put that into perspective, the $7,000 Karl Malone makes if the West wins is about one sixth of what he makes during a single regular season game.
In the Rookie game, Shawn Bradley - who signed a $44 million contract last summer with Philadelphia - will earn just $4,000 for appearing if his team wins. Losing rookie players earn $3,000.
The Long Distance Shootout winner gets $20,000, while the Slam-Dunk winner earns the same.
Jazz forward Bryon Russell just can't get any respect. When he was drafted last spring, his name was announced as BY-ron Russell. At the mock draft for the rookie game teams in June, he was also referred to as By-ron.
Sure enough, when he showed up for the media interview session on Friday, his name was spelled wrong on his place card. Russell scratched out the name Byron and replaced it with Bryon.
Speaking of Stockton and Malone, both are moving up on the all-time All-Star records lists.
Malone ranks second in scoring average, at 21 points per game. Michael Jordan's 22.1 is the all-time high.
Malone is also 22nd on the all-time total points list with 105 and ninth in field goal percentage (.606).
Stockton is fifth in 3-pointers made (4) 11th in treys attempted (8) seventh in total assists (45) and tied for ninth in steals (11) .