79 Facts About Karl Malone

1.

Karl Anthony Malone was born on July 24,1963 and is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association.

2.

Karl Malone was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team.

3.

Karl Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz.

4.

Karl Malone played his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played his third Finals in 2004.

5.

Karl Malone competed with the United States national team in the Summer Olympic Games of 1992 and 1996; in both years he won gold medals.

6.

In 1996, as part of the NBA's 50th Anniversary, Karl Malone was honored as one of the 50 greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team.

7.

In October 2021, Karl Malone was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

8.

Shedrick committed suicide when Karl was only 3, though Malone didn't disclose the suicide until 1994.

9.

Karl Malone attended Summerfield High School and led his basketball team to three consecutive Louisiana Class C titles from 1979 to his senior season in 1981.

10.

Karl Malone joined the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball team in his second year because his grades were too low for freshman eligibility; Malone played under coach Andy Russo.

11.

In each of his three seasons with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Karl Malone was an All-Southland selection.

12.

Under head coach Frank Layden, Karl Malone averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in his first season and made the 1986 NBA All-Rookie Team after coming in third for Rookie of the Year votes.

13.

Karl 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.

14.

In 11 playoff games in 1988, Karl Malone averaged 29.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.

15.

Karl Malone signed a 10-year contract during the 1988 offseason worth $18 million.

16.

At the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, Karl Malone finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists en route to his first NBA All-Star MVP.

17.

Karl Malone made 21 of 26 field goals and 19 of 23 free throws.

18.

Karl Malone led the team in scoring in 24 of the last 26 games of the season; on March 29,1990, against the Golden State Warriors, Malone scored 49 points, and on April 12 against the Lakers he scored 45.

19.

Karl Malone scored 16 points and took 11 rebounds in the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance for the West, and averaged 29.0 points and 11.8 rebounds each regular-season game.

20.

Karl Malone was among four Jazz players with double-figure scoring averages, the others being the newly acquired Jeff Malone as well as John Stockton and Thurl Bailey.

21.

Karl Malone made the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive season.

22.

Karl Malone made the All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight year.

23.

Karl Malone scored 40 or more points in five games this season.

24.

On December 14,1991, when the Jazz played against the Detroit Pistons, Karl Malone elbowed the Pistons' Isiah Thomas on the forehead.

25.

On February 4,1993, in a game against the Lakers, Karl Malone surpassed 16,000 career points.

26.

On January 13,1996, Karl Malone renewed his contract with the Jazz.

27.

Karl Malone returned from a gold medal winning-effort at the 1996 Summer Olympics leading the Jazz to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances.

28.

Karl Malone won his first NBA Most Valuable Player award, and the Jazz were the top team in the Western Conference and the playoff champions in that conference.

29.

Karl Malone finally reached the NBA Finals in 1997, where they played the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

30.

Karl Malone struggled from the field, going 6 of 20 for 20 points in Game 2.

31.

The Bulls won the next two games and the series, with Karl Malone struggling from the foul line in Game 6.

32.

Karl Malone put up 27 points per game and just missed out on his second MVP award, losing to Jordan.

33.

Karl Malone found himself unable to put up consistently high numbers, due in large part to the swarming defense of defenders Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen.

34.

Karl Malone scored his 39 points on 17-for-27 shooting and made 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 turnover.

35.

In that game, Karl Malone elbowed the Blazers' Brian Grant, something he did in Game 1 and for which he was fined $10,000.

36.

Karl Malone became a free agent in 2003, the year Stockton had retired.

37.

Karl Malone played in the NBA for one more season, joining the Los Angeles Lakers in an attempt to win a championship.

38.

Karl Malone returned by the season's end, as the Lakers entered the playoffs with 56 wins and the number 2 seed in the playoffs.

39.

The Lakers advanced to face the San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals, where Karl Malone played a critical role on defense against Tim Duncan, despite not scoring more than 13 points in any game during the series.

40.

Karl Malone scored 17 points on two occasions against Minnesota and averaged 11.5 points and 8.8 rebounds a game in the playoffs.

41.

Karl Malone sprained his right knee in game three and played injured in games three and four before missing the fifth and final game of the series.

42.

Karl Malone had knee surgery during the summer of 2004, and personal problems with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant prompted Malone not to return for another season with the team.

43.

In early February 2005, prior to the 2005 NBA All-Star Game, Karl Malone's agent speculated that Karl Malone would sign with the San Antonio Spurs.

44.

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

45.

Karl Malone was honored 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.

46.

Karl Malone played in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics and won gold medals with the US team both years.

47.

On May 31,2007, Karl Malone became director of basketball promotion and assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater Louisiana Tech University and donated $350,000 to the university athletic department.

48.

On May 29,2013, Karl Malone returned to the Utah Jazz to work as a big man coach.

49.

Karl Malone is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the history of the NBA and was known as "the Mailman" for his consistent delivery.

50.

Karl Malone collected two regular-season MVP Awards, eleven NBA First Team nominations and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times.

51.

Karl Malone led the NBA in free throws taken and made a league-record seven times.

52.

Karl Malone was a physical defender and rebounder, and one of the most durable players ever in the NBA.

53.

Karl Malone 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.

54.

Karl Malone wore number 11 for the Los Angeles Lakers and for the Dream Team.

55.

Karl Malone was photographed with a number 32 jersey at his Lakers introductory press conference.

56.

Over 1,476 NBA games, and 1,471 starts, Karl Malone scored 36,928 points, third-best all-time, on.

57.

Karl Malone notched 10.1 rebounds and 1.41 steals per game for his career.

58.

In 1998, the tabloid newspaper The Globe reported that Karl Malone had been a defendant in paternity lawsuits, filed shortly after Karl Malone began his professional basketball career in the late 1980s.

59.

Karl Malone and Ford were both 17 when twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford were born; Karl Malone was a 20-year-old college sophomore when Bell, at age 13, gave birth to Demetress Bell.

60.

Karl Malone did not meet with Bell at that time, and his attorney insisted that Karl Malone had settled the lawsuits before any conclusive establishment of paternity and thus still did not know whether he was truly the father of any of the children.

61.

The Tribune confirmed that the judge in the Bell lawsuit ruled Karl Malone to be the father, not based on presented evidence, but rather because Karl Malone did not respond to the suit.

62.

The paper examined court documents detailing the evidence that was to have been presented had Karl Malone responded and a trial ensued.

63.

Since that time, Karl Malone has maintained a relationship with the twins, each of whom later played college basketball at his alma mater, Louisiana Tech.

64.

In 2008, The Buffalo News reported that Bell's first ever meeting with Karl Malone came shortly after Bell graduated from high school.

65.

In 2002, Karl Malone donated $1,000 to the campaign of incumbent US Representative Jim Matheson, a Democrat representing Utah's 2nd congressional district.

66.

Karl Malone appeared on the "Great American Panel" segment of the Fox News talk show Hannity in March 2009.

67.

Karl Malone advocated support for farmers in Louisiana who were about to lose their jobs due to the closing of Pilgrim's Pride plants.

68.

Karl Malone has served on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association, a national firearms advocacy organization in the USA.

69.

Karl Malone owns a summer home near the Kenai River in Alaska.

70.

In July 1998, Karl Malone joined his Jazz teammates Chris Morris and Bryon Russell, some family members, corporate leadership of Q-Lube, and winners of a Q-Lube contest for a four-day fishing trip to Alaska.

71.

Karl Malone owns two car dealerships in Utah and one in Louisiana.

72.

Karl Malone co-owned a Honda dealership in Sandy, Utah, with John Stockton, but sold his share, again to Larry H Miller Dealerships, in 2010.

73.

Karl Malone owns three Jiffy Lube franchises in Utah, and is a part owner of Burger King franchises in Utah and Idaho.

74.

Karl Malone starred in the 1994 film Rockwell as a member of Porter Rockwell's team.

75.

Karl Malone had a guest appearance as himself and as a superhero named "Pulverizer" on an episode of the animated show Static Shock in 2004.

76.

Karl Malone made a cameo appearance as himself in the 2004 comedy film Soul Plane and appears in an episode of Brother's Keeper from 1998.

77.

Karl Malone, a wrestling fan, teamed with his friend, Diamond Dallas Page, against Rodman and Hulk Hogan.

78.

Karl Malone is known for frequently referring to himself in the third person.

79.

Karl Malone has appeared in television commercials for LA Gear sneakers, Starter, Morris Air Service, Upper Deck, and Burger King.