one more reason to be a lakers fan
CBS.SportsLine.com - Lakers sign Malone, Payton to contracts. It's a done deal. Maybe the greatest power forward ever, and the now most motivated point guard in history will be goosing Kobe and Shaq to their fourth NBA championship. With re-signing Fox, George, Fisher, Slava, and the kids, I can hear the familiar moan from the rest of the league that one occasionally hears in MLB when George Steinbrenner whips out his checkbook. Only this time they haven't had to post extra guards at Fort Knox. Malone is playing for the veteran's minimum (1.5 per year, for two years), and Payton took a $7 million pay cut from last year's salary. If nothing else, this will be one of the most interesting seasons of basketball ever. Jack has got to be wetting himself.
