Malone's big night

To the current Jazz, assembled on the court, Malone told them to "respect the game. Give the game more than it's given you."

Malone busies himself these days with his logging business and lots of hunting in the Louisiana countryside.

"I've always said when I retire, I just want to take a couple years and just do things I wanted to do. I get to play in a big sandbox every day and play with my Tonka toys and build things and see the kids' games and just be me. I'm enjoying retirement," he said.

His youngest will be 15 in the fall, and Malone spent "12 or 13" of those years traveling in the NBA. Now, he's being a parent and a kid again and trying his best not to put pressure on his four kids.

"I pinch myself and remember how old they really are. Our daughter is on the varsity softball playing first base, and I yell sometime, and I forget that she's an eighth-grader. The same speeches I used to give moms and dads about don't take it so serious, I make myself do the same thing now.

"There's enough pressure on (his children). I wish they didn't play sports. But I wish they had straight As, too. I just want them to be good people, good citizens. I want them to enjoy life, let Dad continue to be the lightning rod. You enjoy your childhood."

Oh, and he said he's still enjoying his childhood. "I never want to grow up. I'm just letting you know.

"I'm the biggest kid."

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E-mail: lham@desnews.com