Former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone is accused in a lawsuit of offering a former business partner in eastern Idaho a $25,000 bribe to take the blame for an illegal elk hunting trip.

The suit filed by Sidney Ray Davis of Soda Springs against Malone's Salt Lake City-based property management firm also alleges that Malone's brother-in-law, Ken Kensey, "threatened physical violence" if Davis didn't make the investigation "go away."

Malone's lawyer, Randall Call of Salt Lake City, said the two-time NBA most valuable player "adamantly denies" any bribery or intimidation. He said the lawsuit is frivolous and targets Malone because of his wealth and fame.

"We've dealt with this kind of extortion before," Call said. "It's a little like terrorism, you can't buckle into it at any time or else it will prevail."