Mailman May Take His Bag Overseas For Upcoming Season

Karl Malone has added a threat to his support of the National Basketball Association’s players union: if the organization is decertified, he may play in Europe.

The Utah All-Star, who voted to support the union on Wednesday, said that at 32, he does not want to risk losing a season to what he fears would be a continuing lockout.

Malone, on the threshold of his 11th pro season, would not say which team he was considering. He did indicate he was looking at Europe.

Calls to Malone Thursday seeking further elaboration were not immediately returned.

Jazz officials would not comment on Malone’s statement, nor how the possibility of his playing in Europe might conflict with his contract with Utah. Malone has three years left on his agreement with the Jazz.

Pat Riley believed he was going to be released from his obligations as Knicks coach in exchange for silence about his coaching plans during the final stages of ITT’s purchase of Madison Square Garden from Viacom Inc., two unidentified sources told the New York Times.

They said that was the reason that Riley began preliminary negotiations to become the Miami Heat’s next coach before he stepped down from the Knicks in June. However, they said that when Riley asked to be released from his contract soon after the season, Checketts refused.

Commissioner David Stern is expected to rule today on the Knicks’ charges that the Heat tampered with Riley while he was under contract to them.

At San Antonio, Spurs forward J.R. Reid was arrested when he attempted to board a flight at San Antonio International Airport with a gun in his carry-on luggage, officials said.

Reid, 27, was going through an airport checkpoint about 7:45 a.m. when an unloaded .45-caliber handgun was detected by security personnel, said airport spokesman Tony Ronquillo.

Reid was detained and turned over to the San Antonio Police Department. He was charged with felony possession of a prohibited weapon and was released on $2,000 bond.

Jon Spoelstra resigned as president of the New Jersey Nets to take a sports marketing job in Portland, Ore.