L.A. is Home Malone: Mailman will join Lakers

LOS ANGELES — And so the Los Angeles Lakers became the hunted again, larger and more talented than anyone else, finally when Karl Malone telephoned yesterday to say he, too, would join them for next season.

Jerry Buss' organization, Mitch Kupchak's team, Phil Jackson's lineup, also will include Gary Payton, who called with similar news two days before, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, assuming neither Malone nor Payton changes his mind before Wednesday, the first day teams may enter into player contracts.

Malone, who once sounded unsure if he would appear on the same basketball court as Magic Johnson, soon will wear his jersey, having decided to play for the Lakers as No. 32, a number retired 11 years ago. Last night, Malone's sentiments bordered on reverential.

"I'm honored," Malone said from his farm in Arkansas. "I'm 40 years old, and I'm honored someone wants me. I'm honored to get a chance to play with Shaq and Kobe. I understand that this is their team."

At the conclusion of a breakneck period that is expected to redirect the course of Lakers basketball, Malone and Payton, perennial All-Stars, joined together in an unprecedented bargain-rate commitment to the Lakers.

While they are free to change their minds for the next five days, both assured Kupchak that their commitments were final. Payton was to shop for houses yesterday, and Malone is expected to arrive in Los Angeles next week.

On the occasion of his franchise player's departure, Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller said he would not fault Malone's goal, an opportunity for an NBA title before he was done.

"I don't think it's in me to deny him that, even if I could," Miller said. "If you've got to go with the odds, that's not a bad place to go."

In a remarkable turn of fortune for the salary-cap-strapped Lakers: Malone, the "Mailman" recognized as one of the 50 greatest players in league history, and Payton, a nine-time All-Star who spent most of his career starring for the SuperSonics, took enormous pay cuts for perhaps a final, legitimate chance at a championship.

Malone, the power forward, and Payton, the guard, therefore unofficially joined O'Neal and Bryant, themselves future Hall of Famers and winners of three NBA championships under Jackson.

Malone has agreed to the $1 million exception (now worth $1.5 million) after making $19.3 million last year. Payton has agreed to the mid-level exception, estimated at $4.8 million, after earning $12.6 million last season.

"They're both good guys," Johnson said. "Here come two other good guys with the good guys we already have. What people don't realize, you don't have to worry about chemistry. People are worried there won't be enough shots. These guys are not about that. They're at a time in their career they want one thing, and that's the championship."