Malone-Rodman Wrestling Might Not Be Over in Finals

For Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman, the NBA finals are only the undercard to their own main event.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Saturday that Malone and Rodman will square off in a pay-per-view World Championship Wrestling event in San Diego on July 12.

It’ll be a tag-team match pitting Rodman and Hollywood Hulk Hogan against Malone and either Randy “The Macho Man” Savage or Malone’s close personal friend, Diamond Dallas Page.

Rodman previously has appeared in wrestling matches, and sports superstars such as the Green Bay Packers’ Reggie White also have gone into the ring in the past.

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Malone was more interested in giving credit to his teammates than in any talk of redemption after his 39-point performance in Game 5, but he hardly was oblivious to the blame that was being heaped on his massive shoulders for Utah’s disappointing showing.

“You take the good with the bad and try not to listen to everything said about you because you know it’s not good,” Malone said. “We have nothing to prove. We just have to continue to believe in each other as a team.

“Our back was against the wall, and we were able to come out and get a win as a team. I know it sounds corny nowadays, but that’s what it’s about.”

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The Jazz apparently won’t be taking the Orlando Magic’s 13th pick in this month’s NBA draft. Utah had the option to claim the pick as part of a trade that sent Felton Spencer to Orlando two years ago.

Scott Layden, Jazz vice president of basketball operations, decided against taking the pick because of this year’s relatively shallow draft pool and the uncertain lockout situation.

The Jazz automatically will receive Orlando’s first-round pick in next year’s draft.

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Among the stars who turned out for Friday’s game was movie critic Gene Siskel, who underwent brain surgery last month.

Siskel, who wore a Bulls’ baseball cap and looked a little thinner, was back in his courtside seat. Next to him was Jack Nicholson, a fixture in the front row at Laker games.

“For months people have been asking me if Michael [Jordan] is coming back,” Siskel told the Chicago Sun-Times. “And I say, ‘Yes, he is.’ And they say, ‘How can you say that for sure?’ And I say, ‘Because it makes me feel good.’ ”

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At practice Saturday, Chicago guard Ron Harper was wearing a ’98 finals T-shirt that read, “Intimidate, Dominate, Celebrate.”

Maybe he needs to add a line that says, “Gotta wait.”