Guard Jeff Malone said Thursday that he holds no animosity toward Karl Malone, though he doesn't know whether the Mailman's urgings led to his being traded.
The Mailman said at All-Star Weekend in mid-February that some Jazz players weren't playing hard and suggested the team trade to strengthen its chances at winning a title.But Jeff Malone stopped short of accusing the Mailman of forcing the deal that sent him to Philadelphia Thursday, in exchange for Sean Green and Jeff Hornacek. "Maybe he did and maybe he didn't," he said. "But I wish the Jazz luck."
Concerning the Mailman's All-Star complaints, the former Jazz guard continued, "I heard stuff like he was maybe talking about me. But he didn't come to me, so I didn't even address the issue. This is his team, per se, and maybe he got something done if he did that. But we spoke (Thursday) and it seemed like there were no problems. He never said anything face to face."
Malone added, "I wish Karl luck. If he did feel that way, and now if with Jeff (Hornacek) and Sean (Green) they can win a championship, that's great. I'm not the kind of guy to wish them to lose."
Any disagreements there may have been were the common NBA-type troubles, Malone added. He admitted to being frustrated at the way he was used in coach Jerry Sloan's offense. "The second year I was here I had freedom to do things off the dribble. That was taken away the last couple of years," he said.
"I have no animosity toward anyone," he continued. "Jerry (Sloan) and I clashed a few times, but that can also happen with Karl or Mark (Eaton) or any of them. I don't dislike anyone here."