Karl Malone

Karl Malone is one of the greatest NBA stars of all-time, and is often considered the greatest power forward to play the game. He was on the original 1992 Dream Team and competed at the Olympics again in 1996. Malone played in college at Louisiana Tech and was drafted in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Malone spent most of his career with the Jazz, playing with them from 1985-2003, before spending one final season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the NBA Malone was MVP in 1997 and 1999. He was a 14-time All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), and was named to the All-NBA First Team for 11 consecutive years from 1989-99. Malone was NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1989 and 1993, and was chosen as a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. His #32 was retired by the Utah Jazz. Malone’s NBA career was only marred by never being able to win an NBA title, losing in the final in 1997 and 1998 to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. He finished with career averages of 25.0 points/game, 10.1 rebounds/game, and 3.4 assists/game.

After his playing career ended, Malone was an assistant coach at his alma mater from 2007-11. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. A statue of Malone was erected outside the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, next to a statue of his Dream Team and Utah Jazz teammate John Stockton. The statues stand at the intersection of Malone and Stockton Streets.