|
|
Karl Malone was a force on the court. Drafted virtually
unknown at 13th overall, all he could do was run the floor and
dunk the basketball. But Karl possessed something to a degree that very few players
can match: A work ethic. While not the most talented, athletic, or naturally
gifted player around, Malone made his niche by more than making up for his
short comings by working hard, all the time. He bulked up, increased his free
throw percentage by almost 25% over just two years, worked on his shooting
touch and developed a deadly midrange jumper making him virtually
unguardable.
More Karl Malone Pictures
|
|
|
|
NBA
career
- Karl Malone was chosen by the Jazz
in 1985 out
of Louisiana Tech with the 13th overall pick in
the draft.
- After his rookie season, the Jazz
saw in him the potential to be the cornerstone of their offense. So,
they traded star forward, Adrian
Dantley, to the Detroit Pistons and decided to build around
him.
- Malone's work ethic features
prominently in his formative years in the NBA where he raised his free
throw shooting percentage from below 50% to 75% in a few years. He
also added a long range jump shot which made him virtually unguardable.
- At the same time, reserve point
guard John Stockton, was winning the trust of the
coaching staff. By 1987 Karl was the foundation of the offense and
Stockton was the floor general and both had All-Star seasons. That
season was also the first for head coach Jerry
Sloan. The three would be inseparable for 16 seasons. It was also at
the end of that season that the Jazz as a team rose to national
prominence after an amazing playoffs
series against the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers.
- For many years, he and Stockton
played together on the Jazz, forming one of the most productive
guard-forward combinations in NBA history. Playing Jerry Sloan's scrappy
and tough style and perfecting the pick
and roll to a maximum degree of efficiency, the Jazz became a staple
to make it to the playoffs and to have a winning record in the regular
season.
- Karl was a very physical player. He
liked to draw contact and put other players in foul trouble. As a
result, he would lead the NBA in free throws made seven separate seasons
(an NBA record). He was also a physical defender and rebounder. He was
widely thought of as one of the dirtiest players in the league and was
sometimes accused of intentionally trying to harm other players. Some of
those who suffered collisions with Karl include Isiah
Thomas, David Robinson, Shawn
Bradley,Steve Nash and Hakeem Olajuwon.
- By the mid-90's the Utah Jazz had
risen to power as one of the top five teams in the league and had
started to knock on the doors of the NBA
Finals. They finally got there in 1997 and 1998 but were
defeated both times by the Michael
Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
- In 1999 (the year
after Jordan's retirement), the Jazz were the favorites to win, but
instead started a gradual decline that was a reflection of the aging of
their two superstar players. Eventually, Stockton would retire at the
end of the 2003 season.
- Karl stayed for one more season,
joining the Los Angeles Lakers to try and win a championship, the only
major achievement that had eluded him in his career. His bid failed as
the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Detroit Pistons in 2004 due to a
knee injury.
- Although several NBA teams sought
his services for the 2004-2005 season, Malone decided to
retire as a player on February 13, 2005.
- Karl Malone wore number 32 for the
Utah Jazz. He wore number 11 for the Los Angeles Lakers (number 32 was
retired honoring Magic Johnson) and also for the Dream Team (the players
wore 4 to 15 to adhere to FIBA rules).
|
|