Malone Greets Men in Uniform

When Game 3 was done Tuesday night, Karl Malone walked across the floor, stepped over the row of folding chairs courtside and embraced two Marine sergeants.

They had met before the game.

Malone, who wears an emblem on his shoes honoring American MIAs and POWs, handed his sweaty wristbands to Gunnery Sgts. Tim Tompkins and Nick Popaditch, who both served in Iraq. Popaditch wore an eye patch, having lost his left eye when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded near his tank.

Malone had spotted them in their uniforms before the game and introduced himself.

“It was amazing,” Popaditch said. “He’s just a great American. It means the world to me. This is his moment, a playoff game. For him to come over in support of the Marines like that is unbelievable.”

Malone deflected the praise.

“This is where they get it confused,” Malone said. “Look at what they’re doing over there for us. And I don’t have five minutes? So I can lay my head down on my pillow at night with my family?”

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In 18 years in Utah, Malone maintained very few friendships outside of the Jazz, in part because, well, no one liked him outside of Utah and, maybe, Arkansas.

His unrelenting play had made him an annoyance to opponents and a villain in foreign arenas, which always was part of the plan.

Then Malone joined the Lakers over the summer, giving him about 13 more friends, which is something.

After Game 2, from which he was ejected for running over Darrick Martin, Malone was again cast as a bully and again unmoved.

“I’ve got enough friends at home,” he said. “I’m not looking to add any to the list.”

He was fined $7,500 Monday for his flagrant foul on Martin and joked he would recoup the money selling logs from his ranch in Arkansas. “About 3 1/2 extra loads will get it done,” he said.

Although they were unhappy with the fine, the Lakers fought as hard to have the flagrant foul (2) reduced. Another one like it would bring an automatic one-game suspension for Malone.

“Those are decisions I wonder how get rendered in the league office,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “I probably shouldn’t comment on it.”

Then he did.

“His reputation preceded him on that one,” Jackson said.