Malone ends All-Star holdout with game-day arrival

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Karl Malone wondered what all the fuss was about. The Utah Jazz star complained his desire for a weekend getaway with his family was twisted into three-day soap opera pitting

Sunday, February 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Karl Malone wondered what all the fuss was about. The Utah Jazz star complained his desire for a weekend getaway with his family was twisted into three-day soap opera pitting him against everyone from league managers to the NBA's younger generation players. "I have no battles to fight," Malone said Sunday.

Malone, a two-time league MVP and 12-time All-Star, arrived hours before the league's showcase at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. He insisted the test of wills between him and NBA rulers and his distaste for the way the league is promoting its rising stars over more established veterans had nothing to do with his absence from most of the weekend activities. "I'm here. I'm going to play. I'm fine," said Malone, whose initial attempt to get out of his All-Star obligations by claiming he had a sore back was rebuffed by league management. "I just wantto go in and break a little sweat. I'm going to enjoy what little is left of All-Star weekend and then fly back to Salt Lake City."

Malone, whose Jazz played their last game Wednesday before the All-Star break, said he and his wife and children spent time on their Arkansas ranch and he also went to Louisiana to see his teen-age son and daughter from a previous relationship play basketball. "I don't know what the big deal is," Malone said. "It's kind of amazing. We as pro athletes are criticized when you don't do things with your kids or spend time with your family and I was trying to do that. It was a great opportunity for me to see my kids play and spend time with my kids. But I'm here now."

Malone said he didn't watch any of All-Star Saturday's events, including the slam dunk contest won by budding superstar Vince Carter, who epitomizes the league's rising stars. Malone added he learned Sunday he had been fined for missing Friday's mandatory media session but said he didn't care. "If I'm going to get fined so I can see my kids, I'll take that," he said.

The league also had threatened additional fines and a possible five-game suspension if Malone blew off the whole All-Star weekend. Utah teammate John Stockton, a member of the Western Conference all-stars, said he was relieved Malone showed up not only to bolster the elite squad to prevent what would be a damaging blow to the Jazz if Malone was suspended. "I'm just glad he's here," Stockton said. "He's a good friend and it's good to share this event with him. I'm just glad this is over and he's here playing."

Malone never indicated in the days before the All-Star game whether he would show up. He declined to say if he thought the league might have handled the matter with a softer touch if he had been more definitive with his plans. He also declined to discuss his feelings toward NBA management. "I'm going to do a book one day and it will be in there," he said. "Right now, I don't want to talk about it. I'm still playing."

As for his past complaints about the younger generation's "disrespect" for the game, Malone insisted it was overblown and certainly had nothing to do with his pre-game All-Star absence. "Everybody wants to portray me like I'm jealous of the younger guys," Malone said. "I made my mark in this league and I continue to try to do my own little thing. There's no ill feelings at all because this changing of the guard, so to speak, is going to happen to everybody whether it's Karl Malone or whoever. I have no grudges."