Karl Anthony Malone nicknamed
"The Mailman", is a retired
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
power forwardPower forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
who spent the majority of his career with the
Utah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate
John StocktonJohn Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
. He played his final season (
2003–04-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
) with the
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Malone grew up in rural
Summerfield, LouisianaSummerfield is an unincorporated area in northeast Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located sixteen miles east of the parish seat of Homer....
and played college basketball at
Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
. In his three seasons with Louisiana Tech, he helped the
Bulldogs basketball teamThe Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at Louisiana Tech University. The school competes in the Western Athletic Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play home games at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston,...
to its first-ever
NCAA tournamentThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1984 and to first place in the
Southland ConferenceThe Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
in 1985. The Jazz drafted Malone in
1985The 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. A total of 162 players were selected over 7 rounds by the league's 23 teams. The New York Knicks were awarded the first overall pick, by winning the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery, which was held...
with the 13th overall pick in the first round.
Having scored 36,298 points in his career, the second
most career points in NBA history, and holding the
record for most free throws both attempted and made, Malone is generally considered one of the greatest NBA power forwards. In 1997 and 1999, Malone won the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including three
NBA FinalsThe NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
: in
1997The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA Playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Utah Jazz of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Bulls holding home court advantage...
and
1998The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference played against the Utah Jazz of the Western Conference, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage with the first 2 games in Salt Lake City...
with the Jazz and in
2004The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
with the Lakers. Internationally, Malone competed with the United States national team in the
Summer Olympic games of 1992The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
and
1996Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
; in both years he won gold medals. After retiring from the NBA, Malone joined the staff of the Louisiana Tech basketball team in 2007 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Early life and college
Born in
Summerfield, LouisianaSummerfield is an unincorporated area in northeast Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located sixteen miles east of the parish seat of Homer....
, Malone was the youngest boy of nine children and during his childhood lived in a farm with his single mother Shirley. His father Shedrick Hay was raising a family with another woman he married and committed suicide when Karl Malone was 14; Malone first disclosed that suicide in 1994. As a child, Malone often worked at the farm and chopped trees, hunted, and fished. He attended the local Summerfield high School and led its basketball team to three consecutive Louisiana Class C titles from 1979 to his senior season in 1981. Although recruited by
University of Arkansas basketballThe Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008...
coach
Eddie SuttonEddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
, Malone enrolled at
Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
, which was closer to home. He joined the
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketballThe Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at Louisiana Tech University. The school competes in the Western Athletic Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play home games at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston,...
team in his second year because his grades were too low for freshman eligibility; Malone played under coach
Andy RussoAndy Russo was a college basketball coach at Louisiana Tech and at Washington. He compiled a 60-61 record through 4 seasons at Washington, and resigned after 1989,having led the Huskies to 2 NCAA post season appearances and one NIT tournament...
. In his second season with Louisiana Tech (1983-1984), Malone averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Louisiana Tech would finish the 1984-1985 season 29-3, at the top of the
Southland ConferenceThe Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
, and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history; the team finished at the Sweet 16 round. In each of his three seasons with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Malone was an All-Southland selection.
Early years (1985-1987)
In the
1985 NBA DraftThe 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. A total of 162 players were selected over 7 rounds by the league's 23 teams. The New York Knicks were awarded the first overall pick, by winning the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery, which was held...
, the
Utah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
chose Karl Malone with the 13th overall pick. According to Malone's official NBA biography: "If professional scouts had correctly predicted the impact Karl Malone would have on the NBA, Malone would have been picked much higher than 13th in the 1985 NBA Draft." Under head coach
Frank LaydenFrank Layden is a retired American basketball coach and executive of the NBA's Utah Jazz.-Coaching career:In additional to his coaching at the professional level, Layden is also a former head coach and player of his alma mater Niagara University's basketball team...
, Malone averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in his first season and made the 1986
NBA All-Rookie TeamThe NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
after coming in third for
Rookie of the YearThe National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
votes. On January 14, 1986, the Jazz beat the
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
105-102 to snap the Rockets' 20-game winning streak. Malone scored 29 points that game, including four free throws followed by a three-pointer by
Pace MannionPace Shewan Mannion is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA and in the Italian league, especially with the team of Cantù...
to rally from a 96-89 deficit with 5 minutes and 36 seconds remaining to a 96-96 tie. For the third consecutive season, the Jazz made the postseason but lost the first round of the
1986 playoffsThe 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...
to the
Dallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. In the four playoff games, Malone improved in his scoring with a 20 points per game average but was still subpar in shooting (49.6% field goals) and rebounds (8.9). After his second season, Malone became the Jazz' leader in average scoring (21.7 points) and rebounding (10.4 rebounds); in 24 of 29 games between February 1 and April 3, 1987, he was the leading scorer of the game.
All-Star, a new coach, and team offense leader (1987-1996)
By the
1987–88 season-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
, Malone was the foundation of the offense and
John StocktonJohn Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
was the floor general. Malone made his first All-Star Game in 1988 on the strength of 27.1 points per game, and made his first All-NBA team at the end of the season. This was the first of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances for Malone. In the
1988 NBA All-Star GameThis was the 38th NBA All-Star game, played on February 7, 1988. It was played at the Chicago Bulls' home stadium and Michael Jordan was the game's MVP....
, Malone led the Western Conference All-Star team with 22 points. The Jazz finished 47–35, third place in the Midwest Division, and defeated the
Portland Trail BlazersThe Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
in the first round. In the next round, the defending champions
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, led by perennial All-Stars
Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
,
James WorthyJames Ager Worthy is a retired Hall of Fame American college and professional basketball player. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA champion...
, and
Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, defeated the Jazz in seven games. In the seventh game of the series, Malone scored 31 points and made 15 rebounds, but the Lakers beat the Jazz 109-98 and would eventually win the
1988 NBA FinalsThe 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1987–88 NBA season.One of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley's most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers' 1986-87 championship parade in downtown Los Angeles...
. In 11 playoff games in 1988, Malone averaged 29.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.
Malone signed a 10-year contract during the 1988 offseason worth $18 million. In December 1988,
Jerry SloanGerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
succeeded Layden as head coach as Layden became team president. Malone averaged 29.1 points in , good for second in the NBA behind
Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, and 10.7 rebounds, which was fifth in the league. This scoring average was Malone's highest so far in his career. At the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, Malone finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists en route to his first All-Star MVP. The Jazz finished 51–31, but were swept in three games in the first round by the
Golden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. This season marked Malone's first with the
All-NBA First TeamThe All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the...
honor.
Malone, in , increased his scoring to 31 points and his rebounding to 11.1 a game and again was selected to the All-NBA First Team and would continue to be selected every year until 1999. On January 27, 1990, Malone scored a career-high 61 points in a 144-96 victory against the
Milwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
. He made 21 of 26
field goalIn basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
s and 19 of 23 free throws. It was the most points scored by a Jazz player since the team moved to Utah from New Orleans. Although Malone was voted to the NBA All-Star Game for the third consecutive season, because of an ankle injury he sat out the game. He led the team in scoring in 24 of the last 26 games of the season; on March 29, 1990 against the
Golden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Malone scored 49 points, and on April 12 against the Lakers he scored 45. The Jazz, finishing the season 55-27, lost to the
Phoenix SunsThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
within five games in the first round of the
playoffsThe 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
, in which Malone averaged 25.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. For the second straight season, Malone finished second in the league in points per game behind Michael Jordan.
From January 19 to March 4, 1991, Malone led the Jazz in scoring for 19 straight games; after starting the season 7-8 the team went 21-9 in January and February 1991. Malone scored 16 points and took 11 rebounds in the
1991 NBA All-Star GameThe 1991 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game between players selected from the National Basketball Association's Western Conference and the Eastern Conference that was played on February 10, 1991 at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
, his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance for the West, and averaged 29.0 points and 11.8 rebounds each regular season game. He was among four Jazz players with double-figure scoring averages, the others being the newly acquired
Jeff MaloneJeffrey Nigel Malone is a retired American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State University, and is mostly known for his time with the Washington Bullets of the NBA, where he was an NBA All-Star twice, playing the shooting guard position...
(no relation) as well as John Stockton and
Thurl BaileyThurl Lee Bailey is an American retired professional basketball player in the NBA whose career spanned from 1983 to 1999 with the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves.- Basketball career :...
. In four games, the Jazz eliminated the
Phoenix SunsThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the first round of the
1991 playoffsThe 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...
but lost to the
Portland Trail BlazersThe Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
in the second round. Malone made the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive season.
As he had done in 1989-90, Malone finished the 1991-92 season second in the league in scoring, averaging 28.0 points per game. He made the All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight year. It was also a breakout season for the Jazz; during the
1992 NBA PlayoffsNBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
, the team made the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Malone scored 40 or more points in five games this season. Despite his continued success and achievements, Malone encountered trouble for committing a
flagrant foulA flagrant foul is a serious contact foul involving unnecessary, excessive, or intentional contact in sport. There is a specific National Basketball Association foul termed a flagrant foul.-NBA flagrant fouls:...
. On December 14, 1991, when the Jazz played against the
Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, Malone elbowed the Pistons'
Isiah ThomasIsiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
on the head. Thomas needed 40 stitches on his eye, and the NBA suspended Malone for the next game without pay and fined him $10,000. In its first-ever franchise Western Conference Finals appearance, in six games the Jazz left the playoffs for the second straight season to the
Portland Trail BlazersThe Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. Malone averaged 29.1 points on 52.1% shooting and 11.9 rebounds in the 1992 playoffs.
Through the 1990s, Malone continued to put up stellar numbers: in , he averaged 27.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, 25.2 points and 11.5 rebounds in , 26.7 points and 10.6 rebounds in , and 25.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in . Following the
1992 Summer OlympicsThe Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
in which Malone helped the
American national teamThe 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. Often considered one of the strongest teams assembled in any sport, it defeated its opponents by an average of almost 44 points en route to the gold ...
, dubbed the "Dream Team", win a gold medal, Malone expressed opposition to
Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, who had recently tested positive for
HIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and retired from the NBA in 1991, making a comeback to the league. Malone's point of view digressed from the support for Johnson from his Olympic and
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
teammates, and the NBA implemented
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related precautions after Johnson's revelation. On February 4, 1993, in a game against the Lakers, Malone surpassed 16,000 points in his career. Malone and his Jazz teammate John Stockton shared the All-Star MVP award in
1993The 1993 NBA All-Star Game took place on February 21, 1993 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the Utah Jazz. This was the all-star debut of Shaquille O'Neal. Utah Jazz players Karl Malone and John Stockton were named the NBA All-Star Game MVP...
. In the West's 135-132 overtime win, Malone scored 28 points and made 10 rebounds.
Malone started all 82 games of 1993–94 and helped the Jazz make the Western Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history and his career. In his ninth season, Malone led the Jazz in scoring (25.2), rebounding (11.5), and blocked shots (126), made 49.7% of field goal attempts, and played 3,329 minutes, the second-most that season in the league behind
Latrell SprewellLatrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
's 3,533. On March 29, 1994, Malone made a career-high 23 rebounds, but the Jazz lost to the
Golden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
116-113. However, Malone made only 8 of 29 field goals that night and commented post-game: "My rebounds are not going to be tomorrow's headline...Tomorrow's headline is going to be all those easy shots I missed." The eventual
NBA championThe 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1993–94 National Basketball Association season, featuring the Western Conference's Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference's New York Knicks....
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
eliminated the Jazz from the Western Conference Finals in five games. Although Malone scored 32 points in the Jazz' 104-99 Game 2 loss, along with Stockton's 18, they and the Jazz were no match for the Rockets with high-scoring center
Hakeem OlajuwonHakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
. Midway into the fourth quarter, Malone and Olajuwon scored in four consecutive possessions by their teams, leading up to a 93-93 tie.
For the first time in team history, in 1994–95, the Utah Jazz won 60 games. In addition, the team won 15 consecutive away games (the best such streak by the team, then the second-best streak in the league). Malone's 26.7 points per game ranked fourth in the NBA, and Malone became the 19th NBA player to reach 20,000 career points on January 20, 1995. In the
1995 playoffsThe 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
, the Jazz lost to the
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for the second consecutive year, this time in the first round. The Rockets became
NBA champions for the second straight seasonThe 1995 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1994–95 NBA season. The series pitted the Orlando Magic against the Houston Rockets. The pre-series hype and build-up of the Finals was centered around the meeting of the two centers Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets...
.
On January 13, 1996, Malone renewed his contract with the Jazz. The Jazz only made it as far as the Western Conference Finals in this period, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers (1992), the
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
(1994) and the
Seattle SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
(1996).
Western Conference championship years (1996-1998)
Malone returned from a gold medal winning-effort at the 1996 Summer Olympics leading the Jazz to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. During the 1996-97 season, Malone put up a resurgent 27.4 points per game while leading the Jazz to a 64–18 record, the most regular season wins in team history. Malone won his first NBA Most Valuable Player award, and the Jazz were the top team in the
Western ConferenceBelow is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
and the playoff champions in that conference. After sweeping the
Los Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz took on the
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, led by the aging trio of
Hakeem OlajuwonHakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
,
Charles BarkleyCharles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, and
Clyde DrexlerClyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
. The Jazz beat them in six games (the last victory coming on a last-second shot by Stockton). Malone finally got to the Finals in
1997The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA Playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Utah Jazz of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Bulls holding home court advantage...
, where they played the
JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
-led
Chicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. In a matchup of the two previous MVPs, the Bulls took the first two games at the
United CenterThe United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
. Malone struggled from the field, going 6 of 20 for 20 points in Game Two. However the Jazz won the next two games at the Delta Center behind Malone's 37 points in Game 3 and 23 in Game 4, including a game-winning fastbreak lay-up off a spectacular assist by Stockton in the last minute. The Bulls took the next two games and the series, with Malone struggling from the foul line in the pivotal Game 6.
The next season saw the Jazz once again dominate. Malone put up 27 points per game and just missed out on his second MVP award, losing to Jordan. Nevertheless, the Jazz posted a 62–20 record, which was the best in the NBA. The Jazz once again were seated at the top of the Western Conference, and in the 1998 playoffs they defeated the Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers (via a sweep) en route to their second consecutive
FinalsThe 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference played against the Utah Jazz of the Western Conference, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage with the first 2 games in Salt Lake City...
appearance. The rematch with the Chicago Bulls would start differently, as Malone put up 21 points and the Jazz won Game 1, 88–85. Malone found himself unable to put up consistently high numbers, due in large part to the swarming defense of defenders
Dennis RodmanDennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
and
Scottie PippenScottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
. In Game 5 of the 1998 Finals, Malone led the Jazz in scoring with 39 points, and the Jazz beat the Bulls 83-81 in Chicago. Malone scored his 39 points on 17-for-27 shooting and also made nine rebounds, five assists, and one turnover. Many of his shots were "mid-range turnaround jumpers from the left side."
A
sixth gameGame 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals took place on June 14, 1998 in Salt Lake City between the visiting Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center, now known as EnergySolutions Arena, in Salt Lake City. The Bulls won 87–86, clinching their sixth NBA title in eight years...
of the Finals was held at the Jazz' home court, the Delta Center at Salt Lake City, and by trailing the series 3-2 the team was one loss away from losing the series. Malone scored 31 points and made 11 rebounds. Although the Jazz held leads of 49-45 by halftime and 66-61 after the third quarter, the team squandered their lead in the fourth and would lose after Malone lost a pass in the post. With 18.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Jazz leading 86-85, Bulls guard/forward
Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
stole the ball just passed to Malone and with 5.2 seconds left made a jump shot that gave the Bulls an 87-86 lead.
John StocktonJohn Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
missed a potential game-winning jump shot. Jordan's shot has been dubbed as the "greatest feat" in his career, and the Bulls' 1998 title was their third consecutive championship and sixth since 1991.
Later seasons with Jazz (1998-2003)
In the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Malone won his second MVP award and the Jazz went 37–13. They lost in the second round to the Trail Blazers, and for the next several years the Jazz fell out of title contention. The Jazz won Game 5 of the second-round
1999The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
round against the Blazers 88-71 to force a sixth game, and Malone scored 23 points. In that game, Malone elbowed the Blazers'
Brian GrantBrian Wade Grant is a retired American basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was known for his tenacious rebounding and blue-collar defense...
, something he also did in Game 1 and for which he was fined $10,000. Despite the decline of his team and his advancing age, Malone averaged 25.5, 23.2, 22.4, and 20.6 points per game in his last four seasons with Utah. In the 2002–2003 season, Malone passed
Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
for second on the all-time scoring list with 36,374 points. He became a free agent in 2003, after which Stockton had retired. For the time Malone and reserve
point guardPoint guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
John StocktonJohn Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
played together on the Jazz (1984-2003), the two formed one of the most productive guard–forward combinations in NBA history. Playing coach
Jerry SloanGerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
's scrappy and tough style and perfecting the
pick and rollThe pick and roll in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender to accept a pass...
to a maximum degree of efficiency, the Jazz regularly made the playoffs with a winning record. Malone led the Jazz to multiple 50-win seasons with the exception of
1992–93-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns*Rookie of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
(47–35).
Final season with Lakers (2003-2004)
Malone played in the NBA for one more season, joining the
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in an attempt to win a championship, the only major achievement absent in his career. His bid failed as the Lakers were defeated in five games by the
Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in the
2004 NBA FinalsThe 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
. Malone sprained his right knee and played injured for four games in the Finals before missing Game Five, with the Lakers down 3–1 and the series almost over. The Jazz retired his number 32 jersey in his honor.
Free agency and retirement (2004-2005)
After his season with the Lakers, Malone became a
free agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He had knee surgery during the summer of 2004, and personal problems with Lakers guard
Kobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
prompted Malone not to return for another season with the team. The
New York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
sought to sign Malone for 2004–05. In early February 2005, prior to the
2005 NBA All-Star GameThe 2005 NBA All-Star Game was a major basketball game played on February 20, 2005 at Pepsi Center home of Denver Nuggets featuring the best players in the National Basketball Association as selected by fans and coaches....
, Malone's agent speculated that Malone would sign with the
San Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. At a press conference on February 13, 2005 at the Delta Center, the arena of the Utah Jazz, Malone officially announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons.
Olympic career
In 1984, Malone and Stockton were both cut from the amateurs-only United States men's national basketball team but joined the team in 1992, when national basketball teams welcomed professionals.
The Oregon National Guard made Malone an honorary member after the U.S. national team beat the
Venezuelan teamThe Venezuela men's national basketball team represents the Venezuela Basketball Federation in international competitions such as the International Basketball Federation , the International Olympic Committee , the World Championship, the South American Basketball Championship, the Pan American...
127-80 in the gold-medal game of the 1992 Olympic qualifier tournament.
Malone played in the
1992The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
and
1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and won gold medals with the US team both years. In the 1996 Olympics, Malone averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game and made 56.9% of two-point field goal attempts and 52.9% of free throw attempts.
Post-NBA career
The Utah Jazz retired Malone's jersey number 32 on March 23, 2006, when the Jazz hosted the
Washington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He was also honored with the unveiling of a
bronze statueBronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
outside the
EnergySolutions ArenaEnergySolutions Arena is an indoor arena, in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, owned by Jazz Basketball Investors, Inc., the estate of Larry H. Miller...
next to teammate
John StocktonJohn Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
, and the renaming of a portion of 100 South in Salt Lake City in his honor. The location where the statues stand is now the intersection of Stockton and Malone.
On May 31, 2007, Malone became director of basketball promotion and assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater
Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
and donated $350,000 to the university athletic department.
Achievements and awards
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
- Most free throws attempted and made in NBA history.
- First all-time in defensive rebounds
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
.
- Second all-time on the NBA career scoring list, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
.
- Both Malone and Stockton were selected to be a part of the Dream Team, the legendary 1992 U.S. Olympic
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
basketball team that was the first to feature professional NBA players. He won Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996.
- Won NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
twice (1997 and 1999).
- Voted in 1996 to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players
The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association...
list.
- Voted to 11 All-NBA first teams, two second teams and one third team.
- Voted an All-Star 14 times. MVP
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the All-Star game in 1989 and co-MVP in 1993 with Stockton.
- Voted to three NBA All-Defensive first teams and one second team.
- Malone was ranked #18 on Slam Magazine
SLAM Magazine is an American basketball magazine in circulation since 1994, published by Source Interlink. SLAM publishes nine issues a year to its circulation of over 500,000 readers worldwide.-History:...
's Top 50 NBA Players of all time in 2009.
- Played in 1476 games (fourth all-time), averaging 37.2 minutes, 51% shooting from the floor, 74% from the free throw line, 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.41 steals per game.
- His 1,434 games played in a Jazz uniform are second most all-time (to Stockton's 1504) for games played for a single franchise in NBA history.
- His 1,412 games played with Stockton are an all-time record for teammates in NBA history.
- Recorded a record eleven consecutive seasons in which he scored at least 2,000 points.
- His jersey number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
(#32) was retired by the Utah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on March 23, 2006.
- Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Sportsperson of the Year (1989)
Player profile
Malone is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the history of the NBA and was known as "The Mailman" for his scoring skills, speed, and consistent delivery. He collected two regular-season MVP Awards, eleven NBA First Team nominations and was also selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team three times.
Malone led the NBA in free throws made a league-record seven times. He was a physical defender and rebounder, and one of the most durable players ever in the NBA, missing a total of only five regular season games in his first 13 years in the league. He maintained a high level of play even at age 40, becoming the oldest player to both log a triple-double and to be a starter on an NBA Finals-bound team. Malone's work ethic showed prominently in his formative years in the NBA where he raised his
free throwIn basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
shooting percentage from below 50% to 75%.
Malone wore number 32 for the Utah Jazz. He wore
number 1111 is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12.Eleven is the first number which cannot be counted with a human's eight fingers and two thumbs additively. In English, it is the smallest positive integer requiring three syllables and the largest prime number with a single-morpheme name...
for the Los Angeles Lakers (number 32 was retired honoring Magic Johnson, though Johnson himself offered to have it unretired for Malone to wear, an offer Malone refused) and also for the Dream Team (the players wore 4 to 15 to adhere to FIBA rules).
Over 1,476 NBA games (fourth all-time), and 1,471 starts (most all-time, never coming off the bench after his rookie season), Malone scored 36,928 points (25.0 per game), second-best all-time, on .516 shooting. His high
field goal percentageField goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
benefited from three factors, namely, the pick-and-roll offense; his physical power, enabling him to overpower most forwards, and his ability to run the court, allowing him to convert fastbreak dunks and lay-ups off assists by Stockton. Malone notched 10.1 rebounds and 1.41 steals per game for his career. In addition, Malone played 1,412 games with Stockton, most all time for two players on the same team, and missed just eight games out of a possible 1,442 games during his time with the Jazz (3 because of suspension).
Notable games
- Malone posted his first career triple-double with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 2, 1996.
- On May 11, 1997, in a playoff game against the Lakers, Malone made 18 of 18 free throws, breaking the NBA record for most free throw attempts without a miss in a single playoff game. He finished with 42 points.
- Malone scored 50 points and added 12 rebounds in a playoff game against the Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
on April 22, 2000. The 50 points set a Jazz franchise playoff record, and at 36 years of age, he became the oldest player to score 50 points or more in a playoff game.
- On November 30, 2003, while playing with the Lakers, Malone became the oldest NBA player ever to post a triple-double (at age 40). He totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 26 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
.
- With his 30-point, 13-rebound performance April 25, 2004, at Houston, Malone became the oldest player in playoff history to score 30 points in a game and only the second player over age 40 to reach the 30-point mark in a postseason contest. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
was the first.
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|
UtahThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 81 || 76 || 30.6 || .496 || .000 || .481 || 8.9 || 2.9 || 1.3 || .5 || 14.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 34.8 || .512 || .000 || .598 || 10.4 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .7 || 21.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 39.0 || .520 || .000 || .700 ||
12.0 || 2.4 || 1.4 || 0.6 || 27.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 39.0 || .519 || .313 || .766 || 10.7 || 2.7 || 1.8 || .9 || 29.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 38.1 || .562 || .372 || .762 || 11.1 || 2.8 || 1.5 || .6 ||
31.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 40.3 ||
.527 || .286 || .770 || 11.8 || 3.3 || 1.1 || 1.0 || 29.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 81 || 81 || 37.7 || .526 || .176 || .778 || 11.2 || 3.0 || 1.3 || .6 || 28.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 37.8 || .552 || .200 || .740 || 11.2 || 3.8 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 27.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 ||
40.6 || .497 || .250 || .694 || 11.5 || 4.0 ||
1.5 || 1.5 || 25.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 38.1 || .536 || .268 || .742 || 10.6 || 3.5 || 1.6 || 1.0 || 26.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 38.0 || .519 ||
.400 || .723 || 9.8 || 4.2 || 1.7 || .7 || 25.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 36.6 || .550 || .000 || .755 || 9.9 || 4.5 || 1.4 || .6 || 27.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 81 || 81 || 37.4 || .530 || .333 || .761 || 10.3 || 3.9 || 1.2 || .9 || 27.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 49 || 49 || 37.4 || .493 || .000 || .788 || 9.4 || 4.1 || 1.3 || 0.6 || 23.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 82 || 82 || 35.9 || .509 || .250 ||
.797 || 9.5 || 3.7 || 1.0 || .9 || 25.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 81 || 81 || 35.7 || .498 ||
.400 || .793 || 8.3 || 4.5 || 1.1 || .8 || 23.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 80 || 80 || 38.0 || .454 || .360 ||
.797 || 8.6 || 4.3 ||
1.9 || .7 || 22.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 81 || 81 || 36.2 || .462 || .214 || .763 || 7.8 ||
4.7 || 1.7 || .4 || 20.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|
L.A. LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 42 || 42 || 32.7 || .483 || .000 || .747 || 8.7 || 3.9 || 1.2 || .5 || 13.2
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Career
| 1476 || 1471 || 37.2 || .516 || .274 || .742 || 10.1 || 3.6 || 1.4 || .8 || 25.0
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| All-Star
| 12 || 8 || 20.3 || .542 || – || .725 || 6.2 || 1.6 || 1.0 || .4 || 12.1
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1986The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...
| style="text-align:left;"|
UtahThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 4 || – || 36.0 ||
.528 || – || .423 || 7.5 || 1.0 || 2.0 || .0 || 21.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1987The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986-1987 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics four games to two in the Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 5 || – || 40.0 || .420 || – || .722 || 9.6 || 1.2 ||
2.2 || .8 || 20.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1988The 1988 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-1988 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 11 || – || 44.9 || .482 || – || .723 || 11.8 || 1.5 || 1.2 || .6 || 29.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1989The 1989 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1988-89 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were severely hampered by injuries, four...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 3 || – ||
45.3 || .500 || – || .813 ||
16.3 || 1.3 || 1.0 || .3 ||
30.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1990The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 5 || – || 40.6 || .438 || .000 || .756 || 10.2 || 2.2 ||
2.2 || 1.0 || 25.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1991The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 9 || 9 || 42.6 || .455 || .000 ||
.846 || 13.3 || 3.2 || 1.0 ||
1.2 || 29.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1992NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 16 || 16 || 43.0 || .521 || .000 || .805 || 11.3 || 2.6 || 1.4 ||
1.2 || 29.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1993The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 5 || 5 || 43.2 || .454 || .500 || .816 || 10.4 || 2.0 || 1.2 || .4 || 24.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1994The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 16 || 16 || 43.9 || .467 || .000 || .738 || 12.4 || 3.4 || 1.4 || .8 || 27.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1995The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 5 || 5 || 43.2 || .466 || .333 || .692 || 13.2 || 3.8 || 1.4 || .4 || 30.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1996The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 18 || 18 || 40.3 || .469 || .000 || .574 || 10.3 || 4.4 || 1.9 || .6 || 26.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1997The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 20 || 20 || 40.8 || .435 || .500 || .720 || 11.4 || 2.9 || 1.4 || .8 || 26.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1998The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 20 || 20 || 39.8 || .471 || .000 || .788 || 10.9 || 3.4 || 1.1 || 1.0 || 26.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1999The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 11 || 11 || 41.0 || .417 || .000 || .791 || 11.3 ||
4.7 || 1.2 || .7 || 21.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2000The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 10 || 10 || 38.6 || .520 ||
1.000 || .810 || 8.9 || 3.1 || .7 || .7 || 27.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2001The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 5 || 5 || 39.8 || .405 || .500 || .796 || 8.8 || 3.4 || 1.0 || .8 || 27.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2002The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 4 || 4 || 40.8 || .411 || .000 || .714 || 7.5 || 4.5 || .8 || .8 || 20.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2003The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 5 || 5 || 38.2 || .405 || .000 || .732 || 6.8 || 4.0 || 1.6 || .4 || 19.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2004The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
| style="text-align:left;"|
L.A. LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
|
21 ||
21 || 38.0 || .450 || .000 || .630 || 8.8 || 3.4 || 1.1 || .1 || 11.5
|-
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Career
| 193 || – || 41.0 || .463 || .162 || .736 || 10.7 || 3.2 || 1.3 || .7 || 24.7
Wrestling
Malone and
Dennis RodmanDennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
participated in a
professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
match in
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
at their "
Bash at the BeachBash at the Beach was a yearly professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling . It was the company's PPV for the month of July, held from 1994 to 2000. The show centered around a beach theme, with the set around the entrance area for the wrestlers decorated with...
" event in July 1998. Malone, a wrestling fan, teamed with his personal friend,
Diamond Dallas PageDallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
, against the duo of Rodman and
Hulk HoganTerrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
. In a poorly-received match, the two power forwards exchanged "rudimentary headlocks, slams and clotheslines" for 23 minutes.
Family
Malone married the former Kay Kinsey, winner of the 1988
Miss Idaho USAThe Miss Idaho USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Idaho in the Miss USA pageant.Idaho is one of the least successful states in the history of the competition, with only four placements in fifty-seven years...
pageant, on December 24, 1990. They have four children: daughter Kaddee (born November 8, 1991), daughter Kylee (born 1992), son Karl, Jr. (born 1995), and daughter Karlee (born 1998). Karl Jr. is a left tackle and nose guard on the football team of Cedar Creek High School in
Ruston, LouisianaRuston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
.
In 1998, the tabloid newspaper
The GlobeGlobe is a supermarket tabloid first published North America on November 10, 1954 in Montreal, Canada as Midnight by Joe Azaria and John Vader and became the chief competitor to the National Enquirer during the 1960s. In 1978 it changed its name to the Midnight Globe after its publisher, Globe...
reported that Malone had been a defendant in paternity lawsuits, filed shortly after Malone began his professional basketball career in the late 1980s, which alleged that he was the father of three children by two women from his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana:
Demetrius BellDemetrius Carte Bell is an American football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He is the son of former basketball star Karl Malone.-Early life:...
and twins Daryl and
Cheryl FordCheryl Ford is a professional basketball player in the WNBA.-Personal information:Cheryl Ford is the daughter of Bonita Ford and former NBA player Karl Malone.-High school:...
. Malone was 17 when the Ford twins were born to Bonita Ford, who was approximately the same age. However, when 20-year-old Malone conceived Demetrius, Gloria Bell was only 13. Two weeks after the 1998 NBA Finals, Malone had met with the Ford twins for the first time since visiting them in the hospital after they were born. Malone did not meet with Bell at that time, and Malone's attorney insisted that Malone had settled the lawsuits prior to any conclusive establishment of paternity, and thus still did not know whether he was truly the father of any of the children.
The
Tribune confirmed that the judge in the Bell lawsuit ruled Malone to be the father, not based on presented evidence, but rather because Malone did not respond to the suit. However, the paper also examined court documents detailing the evidence that was to have been presented had Malone responded and a trial ensued. One of the items listed was a laboratory blood test which concluded with over 99 percent certainty that Bell's father was either Malone or a brother of Malone. The paper also reported that applying that same blood sample to the Ford twins resulted in a similarly high probability of paternity by Malone. According to the
Tribune, Malone challenged the court's ruling with regard to Bell, claiming that the judgment holding him responsible for $125 per week in child support, plus past and future medical expenses, was excessive. Before Malone's appeal was adjudicated, the lawsuit was settled on confidential terms. In the case regarding the Ford twins, Malone was ruled to be their father when he violated a court order by refusing to reveal his assets or submit to a DNA test. Thereafter, another out-of-court settlement was reached.
By the fall of 1998, Malone accepted his paternity of the Ford twins, and Kay Malone spoke publicly of the twins being members of the Malone family. Since that time, Karl Malone has maintained a relationship with the twins, each of whom later played college basketball at his alma mater of Louisiana Tech University. Cheryl Ford went on to a professional basketball career with the
Detroit ShockThe Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
of the
Women's National Basketball AssociationThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
.
To date, Malone has made no public comment with regard to Bell, who is now an offensive lineman for the
Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. In 2008,
The Buffalo NewsThe Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
reported that Bell's first and only meeting with Malone came shortly after Bell graduated from high school. According to Bell, Malone told him at that time that it was "too late" for them to have a father-son relationship.
Politics
Malone donated $4,000 to the
2004 re-election campaignThis article is about the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, the former President of the United States and winner of the 2004 Presidential Election. See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his full presidency, and George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000 for a...
of President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and $2,000 to the
2004 U.S. Senate campaignThe 2004 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 2, 2004 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, various state and local elections, and the presidential election of that year....
of
Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
, a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Alaska. In 2002, Malone donated $1,000 to the campaign of incumbent U.S. Representative
Jim MathesonJames David "Jim" Matheson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes eastern Salt Lake City....
, a
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from Utah. Malone appeared on the "Great American Panel" segment of the Fox News talk show
HannityHannity is a television show on the Fox News network, a replacement to the long-running show Hannity & Colmes. It is hosted by conservative political pundit Sean Hannity....
in a March 2009 edition. He advocated support for farmers in Louisiana who were about to lose their jobs due to
Pilgrim's PridePilgrim's Corp., previously Pilgrim's Pride , is a former U.S.-owned company with its U.S. headquarters relocated to Greeley, Colorado. As a subsidiary of the Brazilian food giant, JBS, it is the largest chicken producer in the United States and Puerto Rico and the second-largest chicken producer...
plants in the state closing.
Outdoor life
Malone is an avid hunter and fisherman. He owns a summer home near the
Kenai RiverThe Kenai River called Kakny in the Dena'ina language, is a river in the Kenai Peninsula of south central Alaska. It runs westward from Kenai Lake in the Kenai Mountains, through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Skilak Lake to its outlet into the Cook Inlet of the Pacific Ocean near Kenai...
in Alaska. In July 1998, Malone joined his Jazz teammates
Chris MorrisChristopher Vernard Morris is a retired American professional basketball player. In his 11 season NBA career, the 6' 8" small forward played for the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. He is a graduate of Atlanta's Douglass High School where his jersey has been retired and played for...
and
Bryon RussellBryon Demetrise Russell is an American basketball player. During an NBA career that spanned from 1993 to 2006, he played for the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers and was a key member of the Utah Jazz, helping them reach back-to-back NBA finals appearances in 1997 and 1998...
, some family members, corporate leadership of
Q-LubeJiffy Lube is a chain of over 2,000 businesses in North America offering oil changes and other automotive services. The company is based in Houston, Texas, and is a subsidiary of Shell Oil.-History:...
, and winners of a Q-Lube contest for a four-day fishing trip to Alaska.
See also
External links