Hitting From The Punch Line

All those stories about John Stockton and Karl Malone being the best of buddies …

Lies.

“That’s basically a publicity stunt,” Stockton revealed Tuesday afternoon, dropping a bomb that would certainly stagger the sporting community.

“We really hate each other’s guts.”

Stockton even laughed about it - apparently relieved to no longer be living a cheap deception.

What caused the rift? Professional jealousy? Too many snaps with the towels in the shower room? The O.J. decision?

Nothing caused it, actually; the two are closer than ever, it’s a Stockton joke - one of a surprising number of cracks the future NBA Hall of Fame guard dished out Tuesday at Gonzaga’s Bulldog Club luncheon.

Those betting the “under” on the punch-line count would have been very surprised by the star, who was far more animated and entertaining than his reserved and underspoken reputation would suggest.

“On his list of 100 favorite things to do, getting up and speaking ranks about 140th,” said Dan Fitzgerald, Gonzaga’s basketball coach and prime foil for Stockton’s wit.

But Stockton does this as a favor to the alma mater.

Bulldog luncheons generally draw 20 or 30 diehards. Stockton’s appearance, though, filled a downtown ballroom for Tuesday’s lunch - just as it helped lure a sellout gathering to see his Utah Jazz play Seattle in the new Arena.

After the smoke cleared from the pre-game fireworks show, those fans saw Stockton play with a vigor apparently undiminished from the days when he lit up the old Coliseum while playing for Gonzaga Prep.

He scored 14 points, making his first five shots. And as he made clear earlier in the day, this is an important year for him.

“This is the last year on my contract, so, hopefully, I can stay really healthy,” said Stockton, who became the NBA’s all-time leader in assists last winter.

“Larry Miller, our owner, is one of the fairest and most honest guys I’ve ever been acquainted with - and I’m not saying that because we’re in contract talks,” Stockton said. “We’ve been talking informally and hopefully we’ll get something done before the season starts.

“If not, I have faith in him and he has faith in me that it’s not going to distract us from what’s important - and that’s the game.”

Stockton sees the money discussions more as a source of discomfort than as an avaricious opportunity to leverage his all-star resume into countless millions.

“They’re a necessary part of it,” Stockton said of negotiations. “But they’re not any fun and they have nothing to do with the game we’re playing.”

Stockton, although only 175 pounds, has been uncommonly durable, having not missed a game since the 1989-90 season - holding the NBA’s longest current streak of consecutive starts at 445.

But at 33, he realizes his career is finite. And Stockton hardly appears to be the type to hang on after his talents have crested simply to collect a paycheck.

“The main consideration for me is health - first and foremost,” he said. “If it’s misery to step out on the court every day because something hurts, or if I’m not playing well because of injuries or age, that would be a reason to cut it short.

“I’d like to continue four or five more years. Maybe that’s a little unrealistic as far as history goes. There’s not a lot of point guards, small guys, who play that long. So, hopefully, I can beat the odds a little bit and play well for a long time.”

At the luncheon, Stockton was asked to peer into the future, to predict what he would be doing 15 years from now.

“Nothing,” he said.

It was another joke.

“Actually, I’m not a very sedentary guy, so I imagine I’ll be pretty busy with something.”

Maybe business. But perhaps coaching.

“I do enjoy the game of basketball and I feel I could teach somebody something about it. I could pass that on in some way - as long as I don’t have to stoop to (Fitzgerald’s) level.”

In a way, though, Stockton’s been teaching the game around here for a long time, wielding an unseen but unwavering influence.

You can bet that among the many hundreds of kids in the Arena, some of them - even the scrawniest little guys - went to bed Tuesday night with the notion that they could make it to the top, to be the best in the game.

Yes, the odds are heavily against them.

But it’s possible.

They know it CAN happen.

They saw living proof of it.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: You can contact Dave Boling by voice mail at 459-5577, extension 5504.