A caller mimicking Malone's voice claimed he wanted to come "home" because Laker fans were "mean" to him. The imitator also said, "I guess it could be worse; I could be Ko . . . " — a truncated reference to Bryant, who is facing trial on a sexual assault charge.

The Jazz were fined $15,000 by the NBA for the skit and issued the Lakers an apology.

Malone's reaction: "I will never, ever forgive (the Jazz) for this. No class at all."

Additional comments were printed in the Orange County Register: "I always knew (leaving the Jazz) was the right thing to do," the Register quoted Malone as saying. "But after stuff like that, it just shows it was the right thing to do."

Malone also called unnamed Jazz front-office staff members "cowards."

Miller was crushed.

"I would think Karl would want to think twice before saying what he said about me and about the organization when he's a partner with the guy in three car dealerships," said Miller, who runs an auto-sales empire. "He better think about the long-term part of it.

"We crossed the line when we said the Kobe thing. . . . But as far as what we said about Karl, it was in good fun," Miller added. "He had been part of us, and it seems he took that opportunity to sever that cord. So, so be it."

Countered Manley, who said the Jazz have been "backstabbing" Malone: "You can't say that's in good fun."

As for the statue, Miller intends to honor retired point guard John Stockton with one.

Malone, he's no longer so sure.

"I will tell you John will be going up in about a year," Miller said. "Karl hasn't bothered to show up to get measured. So if he doesn't care enough to get measured, I don't care enough to pay $250,000 to have a statue made."

Malone, Manley suggested, has been too busy for such matters.

"John (Stockton) may be able to fly in for a measuring of a statue," he said, "but Karl's playing and rehabbing" his knee.

This rift, however, goes far beyond bronze.

"Hey," Miller said, "if it's gonna be a one-way street, . . . I don't need it. I put up with it for 19 years."

The first 18, he added, "there was good and bad. Now, there's only bad."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com