LOS ANGELES - Staples Center is a multi-purpose venue. It not only houses the Lakers and Clippers, but other events as well, including the circus. Quite often the Lakers and the circus occur simultaneously.

In case you failed to TiVo everybody’s favorite prime-time soap – which had been dangling perilously close to cancellation until a certain arrogant young superstar with an ego the size of Barry Bonds’ cranium opened his mouth again – the Lakers are again in turmoil. And this time, it doesn’t involve Phil or Shaq or even Jerry Buss.

Kobe Bryant appeared on a local radio show this week in Los Angeles and insulted Karl Malone. In truth, Karl can get gypped out of extra foam on his latte and feel deeply wounded, but this was a bit different. Basically, Bryant said it wasn’t fair that Malone is keeping everybody waiting on a decision to retire while he rehabs his knee. In a Freudian turnover that made this particular outburst priceless, Bryant said all the other Lakers “were giving ME 110 percent.”

Naturally, Malone went bonkers. He told his agent to tell the Lakers that he would never play for them again. This was not good news for the Lakers, who, in a highly unusual move, proceeded to distance themselves from Bryant’s remarks. Yet considering they not only locked up Bryant to a seven-year contract but also gave him the unofficial title of director of basketball operations, they really have no right to gripe.

For the good of the Lakers as a whole, and for Bryant as an individual hoping to put an oil spill of turmoil behind him, he should trek the few blocks from his Newport Beach palace to Malone’s and apologize.

On Wednesday, Bryant said he tried to call Malone "and square it all out." He also said he was surprised by Malone's reaction and didn't mean anything by it.

However, Bryant also said: “It is what it is, and I want to move on with the team we have here.”

There are those who will say Malone is being a child for reacting so fiercely to a remark made on the radio. There is merit to that view. When Malone was in Utah, he periodically trashed his playpen whenever owner Larry Miller said something he didn’t like, or didn’t reward his services with appropriate compensation.

But Malone wears his heart on his sleeve, or at least on his massive forearms. That comes in handy, especially in big games. He values loyalty and was Bryant’s staunchest supporter during all the sexual assault tribulations of the past year. Malone counseled Bryant. He acted as a go-between for Bryant, Shaq and Phil. And he played some darn good basketball; if it wasn’t for Malone’s defense on Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, the Lakers never would have gotten beyond the Spurs and Timberwolves, respectively, in last spring’s playoffs.

That’s why Bryant looks much, much worse than Malone today, and why he needs to smooth this one over instead of letting another open sore fester.

Bryant has an alarming history of alienating people in his orbit. He was estranged from his own father for a couple of years, after Bryant decided to wed. There were the very public spats with Shaq and Phil. Now Malone. It seems only a matter of time before current teammates such as Lamar Odom and Caron Butler grow weary of being regarded as nothing more than members of Bryant’s entourage. And as amiable as Rudy Tomjanovich is, every coach has his breaking point when it comes to young, wealthy, coddled superstars with entitlement issues who only want to do things their way.

Certainly after this recent Malone incident there will be organizational friction as well. It’s only early December. Yet here are the Lakers and Bryant again, immersed in another high-profile embarrassment. This time, they can’t quell the uproar by getting rid of Shaq and Phil. You can only do that once.

Malone wasn’t going to turn these middle-of-the-packers into an elite team upon his return. But he would have provided an experienced presence in the locker room and in practice. Then again, maybe that’s what Bryant feared. That might be the reason he drove off anyone from last year’s team who could get in his face and challenge him: Shaq, Phil, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher, Gary Payton. Having Malone on the team would mean Kobe might have to deal with an authority figure.

But Bryant needs to take the long view here. Does he want to win a championship someday, without Phil and Shaq? If he does, he’ll have to help recruit free agents to join the club, and he won’t have much success if he’s perceived as a selfish egomaniac who turns on people close to him. Does he want to rehabilitate his image so he can attract endorsements? Madison Avenue tends to frown upon players who, by their behavior on and off the court, create a negative image.

Malone can still help a team. If he stands firm on his contention that he never will play for the Lakers again, the Spurs are the favorites to land his services. Big deal, you say. He’s ancient. Yet Malone is still extremely valuable to have in spot duty, especially during the playoffs. He can play another two years if he signs with the Spurs, his minutes during the regular season are limited, and he can save himself for postseason battles in the paint with some of the NBA’s better power forwards.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are going nowhere. They’re hovering between the bottom of the Western bracket and the draft lottery, about where most prognosticators had them early in the season. This is supposed to be Bryant’s team now. He’s the caretaker. He said the players “are giving ME 110 percent,” so you know how he views things.

There certainly is more to this than one slip of the tongue by Bryant on a radio show. His falling out with Malone probably has been building to this for some time.

But if Bryant wants to salvage his reputation and that of the franchise that invested its entire future in him, he’ll give Karl a hug and soothe his hurt feelings. If he drives off his most ardent advocate, then those who aren’t quite sold on him will have an easier time bailing out.

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