Karl Malone

At 60 years old, Karl Malone has this physical status:

NBA career

The Utah Jazz selected Karl Malone with the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft. "If professional scouts had accurately predicted Karl Malone's impact on the NBA, Malone would have been picked much higher than 13th in the 1985 NBA Draft," Malone's official NBA biography says. In fact, Malone was so sure that the Dallas Mavericks would pick him as the eighth choice that he had already rented an apartment in Dallas. Rather, the Mavericks selected Detlef Schrempf. In his first season under new head coach Frank Layden, Malone earned 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds and made the 1986 NBA All-Rookie Team, placing third in third for Rookie of the Year votes. The Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 105–102 on January 14, 1986, snapping the Rockets' 20-game winning streak at home. Malone had 29 points in the game, including four free throws and a three-pointer by Pace Mannion, enabling the team to recover from a 96-89 deficit with 5 minutes and 36 seconds remaining to a 96-96 tie. The Jazz made the playoffs for the third straight season, but the Dallas Mavericks lost the first round of the 1986 playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks. Malone saw an increase in his scoring in his four playoff games with a 20 point per game average, but shooting (49.6% field goals) and rebounds (8.9) was still subpar in shooting. Malone's second season as the Jazz's top scorer (21.7 points) and rebounding (10.4 rebounds) in 24 of 29 games between February 1 and April 3, 1987, he was the game's leading scorer.

Malone was the foundation of the offense during the 1987-1988 season, and John Stockton was the floor general. Malone played in his first All-Star Game in 1988 on the strength of 27.1 points per game, and he assembled his first All-NBA squad at the end of the season. It was the first of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances for Malone. Malone led the Western Conference All-Star Team in 1988 with 22 points. The Jazz finished 47-35, third place in the Midwest Division, and beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Los Angeles Lakers, the defending champions, were defeated in seven games by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Malone had 31 points and 15 rebounds in the Lakers' seventh game of the season, but the Lakers defeated the Jazz 109-98 and eventually secured the 1988 NBA Finals. Malone scored 29.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in 11 playoff games in 1988.

During the 1988 offseason, Malone signed a 10-year deal worth $18 million. Jerry Sloan succeeded Layden as the head coach after Layden became team president in December 1988. In 1988–89, Malone averaged 29.1 points, good for second in the NBA behind Michael Jordan and 10.7 rebounds, which was fifth in the league. Malone's highest scoring average was his highest score ever in his career. Malone scored 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in his first NBA All-Star Game in 1989. The Jazz finished 51-31, but the Golden State Warriors swept the Jazz in three games in the first round. Malone's first appearance in the All-NBA First Team award came this season.

Malone, who starred in 31 points during his career, returned to 11.1 a game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in 1989–90. Malone won by 122–113 over the Denver Nuggets in the first game of the season. In a 94–80 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Malone scored 21 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. In a 114-100 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Malone scored 52 points and 17 rebounds. In a 144-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on January 27, 1990, Malone scored a career-high 61 points. He made 21 of 26 field goals and 19 of 23 free throws. Since the team moved to Utah from New Orleans, it was the most points scored by a Jazz player since the team moved to Utah. Despite being named in the NBA All-Star Game for the third season in a row, Malone did not attend the game due to an ankle injury. In 24 of the team's last 26 games, he led the team in scoring; against the Golden State Warriors on March 29, 1990, he scored 49 points; against the Lakers on April 12, he scored 45 points; In the first round of the playoffs, the Jazz, who finished the season 55-27, lost to the Phoenix Suns within five games, in which Malone had 25.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. Malone finished second in the league in points per game second season, behind Michael Jordan.

Malone led the Jazz in scoring for 19 straight games from January 19 to March 4, 1991; the team went 21–9 in January and February 1991. In 1991 NBA All-Star Game, Malone's fourth straight All-Star appearance for the West, he scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while the West's average was 29.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per week. He was one of four Jazz players with double-figure scoring averages, the others being Jeff Malone (no relation), John Stockton, and Thurl Bailey. In four games, the Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 1991 playoffs, but in the second round, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns. For the third season in a row, Malone was named in the All-NBA First Team.

Malone finished second in the league in scoring in 1991–92, averaging 28 points per game. For the fourth year in a row, he was selected in the All-NBA First Team. The Jazz also had a breakout season, when the team reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history during the 1992 NBA Playoffs. In five games this season, Malone scored 40 or more points. Despite his continuing success and successes, Malone ran into difficulties for commiting a flagrant foul. When the Jazz defeated the Detroit Pistons on December 14, 1991, Malone elbowed the Pistons' Isiah Thomas on the forehead. Thomas needed 40 stitches in his eye, and the NBA suspended Malone for the next game without compensation and fined him $10,000. In six games, the Jazz lost in the playoffs for the second straight season to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first-ever franchise Western Conference Finals appearance. In the 1992 playoffs, Malone shot 52.1 percent shooting and 11.9 rebounds, giving the average of 29.1 points on 51.9 percent shooting and 11.9 rebounds.

Malone's numbers in the 1990s and 1990s were outstanding: he averaged 27.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, 25.2 points, and 11.5 rebounds. In 1993–94, 26.7 points, and 10.6 rebounds, and 9.8 rebounds were all rebounds; in 1993–96, he averaged 27.0 points and 11.5 rebounds, as well as 9.8 rebounds. Following Malone's participation in the 1992 Summer Olympics, when Malone's American national team, dubbed the "Dream Team," earn a gold medal, Malone, who had recently tested positive for HIV and retired from the NBA in 1991, had to return from the sport in 1991. Since Johnson's admission, Malone's view differed from that of his Olympic and Los Angeles Lakers teammates, and the NBA introduced AIDS-related precautions. Malone reached 16,000 career points in a game against the Lakers on February 4, 1993. In 1993, he and his coworker John Stockton received the All-Star MVP award. Malone scored 28 points and pulled in ten rebounds in the West's 135–132 overtime victory.

Malone played in all 82 games from 1993-1994 and helped the Jazz make the Western Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history and his career. Malone led the Jazz in scoring (25.2), rebounding (11.5), and blocked shots (126), and played 3,329 minutes, the second-most in the league behind Latrell Sprewell's 3,533. Malone's career-high 23 rebounds came on March 29, 1994, but the Jazz lost 116-113 to the Golden State Warriors. Malone made only 8 of the 29 field goals that night and said, "My rebounds are not going to be tomorrow's headline"; and, "Tomorrow's headline will be all the quick shots I missed." In five games, the eventual NBA champions, the Houston Rockets, eliminated the Jazz from the Western Conference Finals. Despite Malone's 32 points in the Jazz's 104-99 Game 2 loss, as well as Stockton's 18, the Rockets and the Jazz were no match for the Rockets without high-scoring center Hakeem Olajuwon. Midway through the fourth quarter, Malone and Olajuwon scored on four straight possessions by their teams, bringing the score to a 93-93 draw.

The Utah Jazz won 60 games for the first time in team history, 1994–95. In addition,, the team won 15 straight away games (the best such streak by the team and 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. The Jazz lost to the Houston Rockets for the second year in a row, this time in the first round of the 1995 playoffs. For the second straight season, the Rockets were NBA champions for the second straight season.

Malone's contract with the Jazz had been renewed on January 13, 1996. In this period, the Jazz only made it to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers (1992), the Seattle SuperSonics (1994), and the Seattle SuperSonics (1996).

Malone returned from a gold medal winning bid at the 1996 Summer Olympics, leading the Jazz to two straight NBA Finals appearances. Malone led the Jazz to a 64-48 victory, the most regular-season victories in team history, during the 1996-97 season. Malone received his first NBA Most Valuable Player award, and the Jazz were the top team in the Western Conference and the playoff champions in that league. The Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Clippers and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a tense match, led by Hakee Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler. In six games, the Jazz defeated them (the last victory came on a last-second shot by Stockton). In 1997, the Malones made it to the NBA Finals, where they defeated the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. The Bulls won the first two games at the United Center in a match between the two previous MVPs. In Game 2, Malone struggled from the field, scoring 6 of 20 for 20 points. The Jazz won the next two games at the Delta Center, behind Malone's 37 points in Game 3 and 23, as well as a game-winning fastbreak lay-up in the last minute. The Bulls won the next two games and the series, with Malone struggling with the foul line in Game 6.

The Jazz were once more dominant in the next season. Malone averaged 27 points per game and missed out on his second MVP award after losing to Jordan. Nevertheless, the Jazz set a 62-20 record, the highest in the NBA. The Jazz were once more in the Western Conference, and they defeated the Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers in the 1998 playoffs, sweeping en route to their second straight Finals appearance. Malone put up 21 points and the Jazz won Game 1, 88-85, but the rematch with the Chicago Bulls would begin differently. Malone found himself unable to produce consistently high numbers due in large part to the swarms of defenders Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen's defense. Malone led the Jazz in scoring with 39 points in Game 5 of the 1998 Finals, and the Jazz defeated the Bulls 83-81 in Chicago. Malone scored 39 points on 17-for-27 shooting, as well as 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 turnover. Many of his shots were "mid-range turnaround jumpers from the left side."

The Delta Center in Salt Lake City hosted a sixth game of the Finals, and by leading the way 3–2, the team was just one loss away from losing the series. Malone had 31 points and 11 rebounds. Despite the fact that the Jazz had leads of 49–45 and 66–61 in the third quarter, the team squandered their lead in the fourth and lost the tie after Malone lost a point in the article. With 18.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the Jazz leading 86–85, Bulls guard Michael Jordan stole the ball from Malone and gave the Bulls the lead after 1.2 seconds. John Stockton missed a game-winning jump shot. Jordan's shot has been dubbed the "best shot" of his career, and the Bulls' 1998 championship was their third consecutive championship and sixth since 1991.

Malone announced on his Los Angeles-based radio show that after the lockout, he would request a trade from the Jazz, quoting a lack of respect from team owner Larry H. Miller and the Utah media, which he referred to as "goons." Malone rebuffed his trade demands a week later, saying in an interview that he would still love to play for the Jazz with "everything else being equal." Malone received his second MVP award in February, the Jazz going 37-13 during the 50-game regular season. The Jazz lost in the second round of the Trail Blazers the year before, and the Jazz fell out of playoff contention for the next four years. The Jazz won Game 5 of the second round of the 1999 season against the Blazers 88–71, triggering their sixth game, with Malone scoring 23 points. Malone elbowed Brian Grant of the Blazers, a game he did in Game 1 and for which he was fined $10,000. Despite the team's demise and his growing age, Malone averaged 25.5, 23.2, 22.4, and 20.6 points per game in his last four seasons with Utah. Malone came in second on the all-time scoring list for second in the 2002–2003 season. In 2003, he became a free agent, the year Stockton had resigned. The Jazz's John Stockton and point guard John Stockton starred together on the basketball team (1984–2003), forming one of the most versatile guard–forward pairings in NBA history. The Jazz consistently made the playoffs with winning records, owing to playing coach Jerry Sloan's scrappy and tough style as well as perfecting the pick and roll to a maximum degree of success. With the exception of 1992–93 (47–35), Malone led the Jazz to multiple 50-win seasons.

Malone played in the NBA for one season before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in an attempt to win a championship. Gary Payton, the Lakers' all-star point guard, was also involved in winning his first NBA title, and the Lakers were expected to win the title against Malone, Payton, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers got off to a good 18-3 record on the season on December 21, but they were forced to miss 39 games due to a knee injury sustained by the Phoenix Suns on December 21. Malone was back in the playoffs by the season's end when the Lakers advanced to the playoffs with 56 victories and the number two seed in the playoffs. Malone recorded double-figure scoring in four games, including a 30-point and 13-rebound effort in the Lakers' victory in the first round against the Houston Rockets. Despite not scoring more than 13 points in any game during the series, the Lakers advanced to the San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals, where Malone played a vital role on defense against Tim Duncan. In the conference semifinals, the Lakers defeated the Spurs in six games before defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals. On two occasions against Minnesota, he scored 17 points and 8.8 rebounds, the highest point and 8.8 rebounds in a game in the playoffs.

In the 2004 NBA Finals, the 40-year-old Malone's bid to win an NBA championship fell short. In game three, Malone strained his right knee and got sick in three and four games before missing the fifth and final game of the season.

Malone became a free agent after his time with the Lakers. Malone was unable to return for another season with the team after suffering knee surgery during the summer of 2004. For 2004, the New York Knicks were attempting to sign Malone. Malone's agent speculated that he would join the San Antonio Spurs in early February 2005, well before the 2005 NBA All-Star Game. If Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich decides to play one more season, he said his team was interested in signing Malone.

Malone announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons at a press conference on February 13, 2005, at the Delta Center.

When the Jazz hosted the Washington Wizards on March 23, 2006, the Utah Jazz retired Malone's jersey number 32. He was also honoured with the unveiling of a bronze statue outside the EnergySolutions Arena next to teammate John Stockton and the renaming of a portion of 100 South in Salt Lake City in his honor. The statues' stand is now located in Stockton and Malone's intersection.

Olympic career

Malone and Stockton were both barred from the United States national basketball team in 1984, but they rejoined the team in 1992, when national basketball teams welcomed NBA players. Only professionals from leagues other than the NBA were allowed to participate before, and the United States was greatly handicapped.

After the United States national team defeated the Venezuelan team 127–80 in the gold-medal game of the 1992 Olympic qualifier tournament, the Oregon National Guard made Malone an honorary member.

Malone competed in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics and earned gold medals with the US team both years. Malone averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, contributing to 59% of second-point field goal attempts and 59% of free-throw attempts in the 1996 Olympics. He and the remainder of the original Dream Team were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Coaching career

Malone, a basketball assistant strength and conditioning coach at Louisiana Tech University, became director of basketball development and assistant strength and conditioning coach on May 31, 2007 and gave the university athletic department $350,000.

Malone returned to the Utah Jazz on May 29, 2013 to serve as a big man coach.

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