Miller's OK with Malone

Remember when Larry H. Miller said, "I don't need Karl (Malone) in my life. I'm getting along just fine"?

Remember when he referred to Malone's behavior as "kindergarten" and "rookie"?

Remember when Malone called Jazz management "cowards" and said he "always knew (leaving Utah) was the right thing to do"? When, after the skit that mocked teammate Kobe Bryant, he said, "I will never, ever forgive them for this. No class at all"?

Remember when Miller said Malone had " . . . done a lot of damage. So let's just say justice will be served"?

Remember when John Stockton showed up to be measured for a statue that will reside outside the Delta Center, but Malone begged off? Said Miller: "So if he doesn't care enough to get measured, I don't care enough to pay $250,000 to have a statue made."

Remember when they made up, sort of, in March when Malone came to Salt Lake City for a Lakers-Jazz game? Even so, Miller only said he felt better about things, not that he was pacified.

Consider him pacified. Time has passed, both Miller and Malone have cooled down, and Malone's statue is going up. It will be joined by one of Stockton at the southeast corner of the Delta Center, next February or March.

"Oh yeah. That has never really been in question," said Miller this week. "I was frustrated that John showed up so readily (to be measured) and Karl didn't, but he and I worked through that. No matter whether you get frustrated or even angered by it — which I feel I'm past now — you can't ignore what Karl did for this franchise for 18 years. No matter how you measure it, it was remarkable, incredible."

The renderings will be 1 1/2 times life size and feature each player holding a basketball. Stockton will be delivering an assist and Malone catching the ball and dunking.

That talk about denying Malone a statue was merely the usual fussing between the two.

"The positives outweigh the negatives," said Miller on Wednesday.

"I don't know how you measure it — whether it's 1,000-to-one or what — but I would be selfish and small-minded if I did not recognize what he did."