Who is NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone, aka "The Mailman"?
"He played a lot of times when he shouldn’t have. He did whatever he could to try to win, and I think that kind of thing is overlooked a lot these days in the game of basketball,” said Jerry Sloan (former Utah Jazz coach) of basketball's great Karl Malone.2
Karl Malone, a basketball legend and former player for the Utah Jazz, is well-known for his past position as a power forward. His consistent delivery on the court ultimately earned him the nickname “The Mailman.” But Malone’s love for basketball started much earlier.. In his youth, he dominated the court on his high school basketball team, where he won three Louisiana Class C titles in a row from 1979 to 1981. Born to a family of nine children from Summerfield, LA, Karl Malone was destined to make a name for himself. And did he ever!
During his time at Louisiana Tech University, Karl Malone honed his craft and his passion for basketball, propelling him and his team to new heights and a successful sophomore season. This eventually led to the team winning the Southern Conference title. Malone's talent truly exploded on the court as the Bulldogs continued on to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in the school's history. This was just the beginning for Malone.
It wasn’t long after Karl Malone had become well-known for his talent on the Louisiana Tech University team, that the NBA started calling. It was a move that Malone knew he needed to make. He was hopeful in the selection process, anticipating a spot on the Dallas Mavericks, but the NBA had other plans. Ultimately, it was the Utah Jazz that would pull Malone in as the 13th overall draft pick. He went on to be chosen for the 1986 NBA All-Rookie Team in his first year with the Utah Jazz.2
Malone led the Utah Jazz to many victories throughout his career, dominating the Western Conference division from the 1980s to the 1990s. The 14-time All-Star was named one of the NBA's Most Valuable Players twice during his career. He even received a spot on the U.S. Dream Team in 1992, where he led the United States to a gold medal win at the Olympic Games in Barcelona.2
Karl Malone’s career achievements include: 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, 2x League MVP, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 14x All-Star, 11x All-NBA First Team and 3x All-Defensive First Team.2
Malone finished his career leading in points, rebounds, games started, minutes played, free throws made and attempted — and the list goes on. He finished second in assists, steals and blocked shots. Ultimately, Malone was a force to be reckoned with, and his stats proved so.
Malone had a longtime partnership with and connection to Utah Jazz teammate and point guard John Stockton. Malone and Stockton formed the most lethal guard-forward combination seen by NBA fans and commentators for 18 years straight. It was nearly impossible to get a pass by this daring duo when you were put face-to-face with them on the court. The two inspired the phrase “Stockton to Malone,” which meant that when they hit the court, the game was over before it even started!
No matter how rigorous or physical a game could become, Malone and his team took to the court with the utmost passion for the game. His NBA record tells a story in itself. Malone finished third in all-time career points (36,928), only out-performed by Lebron James (first) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (second).1 On top of this, Malone played 1,476 games in his entire regular season professional career.
Karl Malone retired from the NBA on February 13, 2005, with 19 seasons under his belt. His number 32 was also retired in 2006 by the Utah Jazz, an absolute honor for any professional athlete. To honor his legacy, the Utah Jazz had a statue constructed outside their arena in honor of Karl Malone. He was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and is a true definition of resilience and determination.2
“Even though I left for a year, I grew here as a Jazz man… If I’m fortunate enough to go into the Hall of Fame, I will go as a Jazz man.” - Karl Malone2
If you have any questions or want to know even more about Karl Malone, feel free to give us a call or stop by our dealership at 1120 West Hillsboro Street, El Dorado, AR 71730 . We look forward to serving our customers from Magnolia, Little Rock and Camden.
1For more information about the most current NBA all-time points leaders, visit espn.com.
2Information and stats used in this article for Karl Malone can be found here.