Karl takes the high road

He sat dressed in all black, like a villain in town to do bad deeds.

But Karl Malone had only benign thoughts on his mind while watching his first game at the Delta Center since leaving Utah after nearly two decades to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Affection for the Jazz.

Appreciation for Jazz fans.

Even a little love for Larry H. Miller, the Jazz owner who has a beef with the NBA's No. 2 all-time scorer, and an awful lot for his longtime but now former coach, Jerry Sloan.

In fact, by the time Malone strolled into the Utah coach's office late Monday night and emerged several minutes later walking step-in-step with Miller by his side, it seemed as if the tiff between owner and ex-Jazz star had come to a conclusion.

"I think," Miller said, "we're probably on neutral ground — or better.

"I can't complain."

Malone, too, sounded as if all was well Monday.

"I've got too many positive memories here for 18 years with the fans, the organization, Larry and (wife) Gail," Malone said.

Too many, that is, to take anything but the high road, even after Miller — upset with Malone's adverse reaction to a playful but perhaps mocking skit performed earlier this season — said a few nights back that he no longer needed The Mailman in his life.

"What do you guys want me to say? That's old news, man," Malone, speaking Monday morning, said when asked about Miller's unhappiness. "I'm somewhere else, and my life is good. Their life (the Jazz's) is good. So, that's old news. You guys keep beating things to death — and it's for no reason.

"I love my new life," he added. "That's why I don't know what all the fuss is about. I'm happy. The Jazz are happy — they're winning. . . . So why can't both sides be happy and go on? You know, it's funny: I find it hard to believe Karl and Larry's 'at it again' when I'm not saying anything."

Instead, Malone — who did not play for the Lakers in their 88-83 Monday loss to the Jazz because of a lingering knee injury — chose to dwell mostly on the positives from his lengthy stay in Utah.