"For a brief second it felt like I was playing and I made some unbelievable play, and they were acknowledging it," he said. "It was that kind of atmosphere."

This night wasn't about action, but retirement as Malone's No. 32 jersey was hoisted into the Delta Center rafters, appropriately next to guard John Stockton's.

Stockton was among several teammates who were on hand to see Malone's jersey retired during halftime of Utah's game against Washington.

Also attending were numerous family members and friends of Malone, past coaches and NBA commissioner David Stern and a sellout crowd of 19,911.

Stockton, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and Malone all addressed the crowd, and the teammate and the owner thanked Malone for the success he brought the franchise.

"It all worked because of the big guy in the middle," Stockton said.

Miller, who teared up when talking about Malone at an earlier news conference, kept his speech short during halftime. "I've missed you more than I thought I was going to, big guy," Miller said.

Malone, with a trim body and buff arms that didn't look like they belonged to a guy in retirement, thanked the fans for their loyalty and coaches for running "the same play over and over." He also gave his former teammates some gratitude.

"You guys knew where the ball was going all the time and you accepted it," he said. "Thank you for that."

Malone's jersey joined coach Frank Layden (No. 1), Darrell Griffith (35), Pete Maravich (7), Mark Eaton (53), Jeff Hornacek (14), and Stockton (No. 12) above the Delta Center court.

Malone retired on Feb. 13, 2005. He played 18 seasons for the Jazz, averaging 25.4 points and 10.1 rebounds in 1,434 games. Malone joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003-04 and played in 42 games before retiring.

"I still pull for the Jazz and defend the Jazz," Malone said. "This all brings back good memories. I don't remember the bad ones when I see Stockton, Mark Eaton and Horny [Jeff Hornacek]."

Earlier in the day a street was named after Malone and a 15-foot statue of his likeness was unveiled next to Stockton's on the Delta Center plaza.

"All in all this isn't just my day," Malone said. "It's an NBA day, a Jazz day, it's a Utah day and it's an NBA fan's day. To be a part of that is special."

Malone said he wanted to spend a moment with his statue alone before he left for his own private retirement ceremony.

"I'm not going to answer myself, I'm going to talk to myself," he said. "I never expected all this."

The night may have overwhelmed the guy who crafted a career out of overwhelming opponents, but it was deserved, Stockton said.

"I was blessed to play with the best power forward in the game for 18 years," Stockton said. "He was always double-teamed and triple-teamed. Other teams knew he was the guy that had to be stopped, and most times people weren't able to do it, as indicated by his hideous stats."

Not surprisingly, Miller broke down when he talked about his longtime player and their sometimes contentious relationship.

"One thing that is missed most is your sheer presence and your personality," Miller said to Malone. "Whether on the basketball court or off, there's a presence and an aura that is hard to describe."

To the Roof

* Malone had more than 100 invited guests in attendance.

* Bryon Russell, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton, Mark Eaton and Thurl Bailey were among past Jazz players who attended the festivities.

* The statue of Malone stands 15 feet tall, and 18 feet including the base.