Kobe Bryant has done it again.

Just months removed from evicting Phil Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers’ general manager – excuse me, shooting guard – has turned his sights on Karl Malone. Kobe’s latest tempest hit hurricane force on Sunday with his claim that the Mailman was putting the moves on his wife at a Laker game, an allegation Malone furiously denied.

The conflagration had been building for some time. A week ago, Bryant told an L.A. radio station that the team didn’t really need Malone, who played for the Lakers a year ago but remains unsigned as he rehabs from a knee injury. This sent Malone into a huff, eliciting a statement from his camp saying he wouldn’t be playing for the Lakers this season. That, in turn, led Bryant to confide in reporters about the alleged incident between Malone and Vanessa Bryant.

More troubling for the Lakers, however, was another statement from Bryant in that first radio interview when he said of his teammates, “These guys are giving me 110%.”

You heard it right. He said, “giving me 110%” – not “giving the team 110%,” or “giving coach Tomjanovich 110%.”

Welcome to Kobe’s world, everyone. In this alternate universe, the planets shift their orbit depending on the location of the center of the solar system, Kobe Bryant. To date, not a pinprick of humility has emerged to deflate his ballooning narcissism. It’s already cost the Lakers Jackson and O’Neal, and now it will cost them Malone’s services, as well.

For all we know, maybe Bryant was telling the truth. Maybe Il Postino was trying to make a special delivery, perhaps hoping that Mrs. Bryant would want a little revenge for that whole Colorado thing. Regardless, Bryant’s past conduct leaves him in a situation where nobody believes him – an online poll showed that 83% of respondents believed Malone’s side of the story.

Of course, the off-court brouhaha is only half the story, and obscures the fact that Malone wasn’t actually very important to the Lakers. They acquired Lamar Odom in the off-season to play power forward, and second-year pro Brian Cook has had a breakout season behind Odom. With other frontcourt players making quality contributions – Chris Mihm has looked great and Jumaine Jones came out of the federal witness protection program to drain seven 3-pointers on Sunday – the Lakers didn’t stand to gain much by adding Malone to the roster. It’s an unfortunate way for the two sides to part, but in basketball terms it may be for the better.

As Malone nears the end of his rehab period, he’s also keeping open the option of where he might play this season. With the Lakers out of the running, three title contenders are vying for his services, and this latest salacious bit of gossip may influence Malone’s choice.

San Antonio is the most fitting suitor. The Spurs certainly could use the frontcourt depth that Malone would provide. Right now they’re counting on Robert Horry and Malik Rose, both of whom are getting close to their sell-by date. Malone’s passing skills and toughness would mesh well on a club that values team harmony and defense in equal proportions.

But a few problems could arise if Malone were to join the Spurs. First, San Antonio asks an awful lot of its big people defensively, especially in the shot-blocking department, and Malone can’t cut the mustard here. He’s 41 and has had two serious knee injuries in the past year; even at his peak, he was mostly floor-bound.

Second, this might not be Malone’s cup of tea. He wants to help a team win its first title instead of being viewed as riding Tim Duncan’s coattails to a third Spurs championship. Moreover, Malone can break the all-time scoring record by the end of next year if he plays enough minutes, but he has little chance of seeing that kind of playing time as a Spur.

In fact, San Antonio’s interest is most likely a ploy to keep Malone away from another Western power, Minnesota. It’s not lost on either team that Malone did a good job of defending Duncan in last year’s playoffs, and he could help the T-wolves in a number of other ways.

On a team with long, stringy guys like Kevin Garnett and Eddie Griffin, Malone would finally bring some beef to the Minnesota front line. Teams that pull Garnett away from the hoop can plunder the T-wolves on the offensive glass, but having Malone policing the paint would stop the bleeding. His skills would also fit perfectly into Minnesota’s high-post offense, and adding him would eliminate the need to play perennial disappointment Michael Olowokandi. Finally, nobody could accuse Malone of riding coattails here, since Minnesota has never even been to the Finals.

However, Malone might wonder why he should sign up for the bruising playoff run that Minnesota undoubtedly faces out West when the road to the finals is much easier with a contender in the East.

That’s why he would be a perfect fit in Miami. The Heat’s frontcourt depth is terrible, so Malone would have little trouble getting enough minutes and shots to challenge the scoring record. Also, he fills an obvious need on a Miami team that has lacked a reliable third scorer since Eddie Jones forgot how to shoot.

But here’s the coup de grace: Malone would be helping Shaq win a title. Nothing would burn up Bryant more than seeing Shaq hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in Miami with a jubilant Mailman standing next to him. So if the Heat do eventually add Malone to the mix, they should be sure to send Kobe a thank-you note. They might have had the inside track on getting Malone anyway, but if I’m Karl Malone, the events of this weekend sealed the deal.