"I miss him -- it's different being here in the finals without him," Malone said.
Malone and Stockton were teammates with the Utah Jazz for 18 seasons. Stockton retired after last season as the NBA's career assist leader.
"There's a lot of people in Utah who are pulling for me," Malone said. "I'll say this now -- to the Karl Malone fans, thanks for pulling for me. To those who aren't Karl Malone fans, thanks for keeping me motivated."



