Bulls win fifth title in seven years

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Malone

Two days after Chicago beat Utah 90-86 in Game 6 to claim its fifth title in seven years, the 10-time All-Star said he would spend his summer deciding what to do after falling agonizingly short of his first championship ring.

"I've had 10 months of basketball," he said while attending wrapup team meetings at the Delta Center Sunday. "I had about a week and a half off after the Olympics. I've had my share of basketball."

Malone, who along with pick-and-roll partner John Stockton is under contract for the 1998-99 season, said there are several factors to consider.

"Part of it is who's coming back," he said, but declined to specifically discuss the six Jazz players, including starters Jeff Hornacek and Bryon Russell, who are free agents.

"I'm proud of these guys," was all Malone would add, his eyes taking inventory of the teammates who joined him in setting a franchise record of 64 regular-season wins. "I'm prouder than I've ever been with a group of guys."

If the Mailman returns, he wants "to get back to the Finals next year, no doubt about it."

Jazz owner Larry Miller, the wealthy car dealer whose money saved the Jazz from moving to Minnesota 12 years ago, just smiled when told of Malone's apparent uncertainty. After all, it wasn't the first time -- or second or even third -- that his 6-foot-9 power forward has ended a tough season with hints of retirement.

"Karl's a guy trying to carry too much of this load," Miller said. "He's just trying to gather himself. ... Karl wants to play another two, three or four years. He's just sending out feelers."

Besides 11-year veteran Hornacek and Russell, who completed his fourth season with Utah, Miller must decide what to do with rookie swingman Shandon Anderson, reserve center Antoine Carr, backup point guard Howard Eisley and 12th man Stephen Howard.

On Miller's list of must-haves: Hornacek and Russell. He mentions Carr's name quickly thereafter, and calls Anderson and Eisley, along with starting center Greg Ostertag, "the future."

Hornacek was happy about Miller's stance. At this point in his career, he says his top priority is the happiness of his wife Stacy, two sons and a daughter.

"In my situation with a family, am I going to take my kids and go live in Los Angeles or New Jersey? You weigh all the factors," he said. "The odds of me leaving ... are greatly slim."

Russell, too, wants to be back, but will "take it in stride, take some vacation and we'll met with Larry a bit later."

However, the returns of journeymen Chris Morris, Greg Foster and Adam Keefe don't seem as set in stone. Any one, or all of them, could be trade bait during the off-season.

"Emotionally, I'd like to keep them all," Miller said. "You look at what we have, and we're an outstanding basketball team. At the same time, we'll have to take a look at what's out there in the free agent market."

Stockton, 35, will return next fall for his 14th season with the Jazz. Still, the struggle to accept falling short of what could have been Utah's first NBA championship has not yet been put to rest.

"You can always say, 'Next year.' But the time invested in getting so far and losing the close games -- it's not an easy road," Stockton said.

It was Stockton's buzzer-beating 3-pointer that sent the Jazz to their first Western Conference title in 14 consecutive playoff appearances, providing the defending champion Bulls with what proved their toughest test yet.

"Just to get this opportunity again, it's going to be a long road," said Stockton, the NBA's career assists and steals leader said.

But it is a road that Stockton, a nine-time All-Star, wants to revisit after a summer's rest.

"That's what I'm going to take with me into next year," he said.

Malone, meantime, will try to forget, at least for a while.

"This summer we'll sit back and listen and watch and see what I'll do," he said. An Alaska deep-sea fishing expedition, hunting, a trip to Japan with wife Kay, and driving a truck for a small, unspecified rock quarry all are on his list of things to do.

But the father of two girls and one boy said that in his family and friends, he's already "found what I was looking for.

"I'm happy ... but I have to think about life after basketball," Malone said. "I can't do it forever."