January 29, 2004
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Karl Malone was offended by a mock phone call that made fun of him and teammate Kobe Bryant during a timeout of the Lakers' game at Utah last week.
``For them to put that out there about him, that's disrespectful,'' Malone said. ``I will never, ever forgive them for this. No class at all.''
Malone, who played 18 seasons with the Jazz, did not attend the game last Saturday because of a knee injury. It was supposed to be his first game as an opponent in Utah.
During a stoppage, Jazz mascot ``Bear'' answered a fake call that was broadcast over the loudspeakers. The caller imitated Malone's voice and identified himself as ``Mail,'' saying he wanted to come ``home,'' L.A. fans were ``mean'' to him and the Lakers don't pass him the ball.
The call ended with the imitator saying, ``I guess it could be worse. I could be Ko...,'' stopping short of saying Kobe.
Bryant had spent the previous day in Colorado, where he's facing a trial on a sexual assault charge.
``That kind of stuff there is like pathetic. If an athlete would have did that, we'd have been talking about it for the rest of the year on SportsCenter,'' Malone said before the Lakers' home game against Seattle on Wednesday.
Later in the game, Jazz owner Larry Miller was handed a cell phone for a second call from the fake Malone and was cheered when he promptly hung up.
Miller did not immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday.
Malone said he had no problem with the Jazz poking fun at him, but the Bryant reference was in poor taste.
``I guarantee you, I'll have the last say on this. You can print that. That little skit they did, it'll cost them. I guarantee you,'' Malone said.
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