Karl Malone is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. He is widely considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.
Karl Malone is an American retired professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. He is widely considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history and is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Malone was born in Summerfield, Louisiana, and grew up in a large family of seven children. He was a standout basketball player in high school and was recruited by Louisiana Tech University. He played college basketball for two seasons before being drafted by the Jazz in 1985.
Malone quickly established himself as one of the best players in the NBA, earning All-Star honors in each of his first 11 seasons. He was a key member of the Jazz teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, and he was named the NBA MVP in 1997 and 1999. He also won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team in 1992 and 1996.
In 2003, Malone signed with the Lakers and teamed up with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to form one of the most formidable trios in NBA history. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals in 2004, but lost to the Detroit Pistons. Malone retired in 2005 after 19 seasons in the NBA.
Malone is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 36,928 points and is second in all-time rebounds with 14,968. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and his number 32 jersey was retired by the Jazz in 2006. He is also a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
In addition to his basketball career, Malone has been involved in numerous business ventures, including a restaurant chain, a car dealership, and a real estate development company. He is also an active philanthropist and has been involved in numerous charitable causes.