Monday, July 19, 2004
Sports: No Mail Needed in San Antonio
I keep hearing a persistent rumor that the Spurs might sign Karl Malone. If that were to happen, you could officially consider me a non-basketball fan.
Sure, my NBA interest has waned in the past few years, but there remains a part of me that devoutly stood by San Antonio's side during the futility of the pre-Duncan era. At the heart of that futility stood one Karl Malone.
Malone's Jazz squad won just as many championships during that time as the Spurs, but they did advance as far as the NBA Finals on two occasions They also eliminated San Antonio from the playoffs on three occasions. All the while Malone -- along with his daisy duke-wearing sidekick, John Stockton -- cast a tough shadow on a Spurs team that carried a perpetual reputation for playing soft.
While David Robinson collapsed beneath the pressure of Hakeem Olaujuwon, Malone managed to elbow Hakeem's Rockets out of the spotlight. Even when San Antonio drafted Tim Duncan, it was Malone and the Jazz that showed the Suprs who still ruled the Midwest.
Of course San Antonio finally rose up to capture the NBA title in 1999, and followed up with a non-asterisked version in 2003. But when the Lakers found a way to stab a dagger into the Spurs' hearts this past season, who did they employ to help them out? One Karl Malone.
The mere thought of that guy putting on the silver and black would be enough to chase me away from the NBA, or at least from the Spurs. It would be akin to the Astros signing Tom Glavine. I don't think I could stomach it.
Here's hoping that those vile rumors don't come true.
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Sure, my NBA interest has waned in the past few years, but there remains a part of me that devoutly stood by San Antonio's side during the futility of the pre-Duncan era. At the heart of that futility stood one Karl Malone.
Malone's Jazz squad won just as many championships during that time as the Spurs, but they did advance as far as the NBA Finals on two occasions They also eliminated San Antonio from the playoffs on three occasions. All the while Malone -- along with his daisy duke-wearing sidekick, John Stockton -- cast a tough shadow on a Spurs team that carried a perpetual reputation for playing soft.
While David Robinson collapsed beneath the pressure of Hakeem Olaujuwon, Malone managed to elbow Hakeem's Rockets out of the spotlight. Even when San Antonio drafted Tim Duncan, it was Malone and the Jazz that showed the Suprs who still ruled the Midwest.
Of course San Antonio finally rose up to capture the NBA title in 1999, and followed up with a non-asterisked version in 2003. But when the Lakers found a way to stab a dagger into the Spurs' hearts this past season, who did they employ to help them out? One Karl Malone.
The mere thought of that guy putting on the silver and black would be enough to chase me away from the NBA, or at least from the Spurs. It would be akin to the Astros signing Tom Glavine. I don't think I could stomach it.
Here's hoping that those vile rumors don't come true.
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