Karl Malone

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Malone played college basketball for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. In his three seasons, he helped the Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament in 1984 and to first place in the Southland Conference in 1985. The Utah Jazz selected him in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick. Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz. He played his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played his third Finals in 2004. Malone also competed with the United States national team in the Summer Olympic Games of 1992 and 1996; in both years he won gold medals. In 1996, as part of the NBA's 50th Anniversary, Malone was honored as one of the 50 greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team. In October 2021, Malone was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. After retiring from the NBA, Malone joined the staff of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in 2007 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 twice – for his individual career, and as a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team. Malone is often considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, but his personal conduct has attracted criticism following revelations that, while attending college at Louisiana Tech, he impregnated a 13-year-old. No statutory rape charges were filed.

In Their Own Story

The air in the Delta Center grew heavy during the 1998 Finals, but Malone never missed a shift. In Game 6, with the clock winding down and the championship slipping away, he found himself at the elbow against Michael Jordan. He drove hard, absorbing contact from the greatest defender of his generation before rising for a contested hook shot. It didn't seal the title that night, but it was just another delivery in a career defined by showing up, day after day, regardless of whether the mail arrived or not.

Reader's Guide

Born in Summerfield, Louisiana, Malone was the youngest of nine children and was raised on a farm by his single mother, Shirley. Shedrick Hay, his father, was married to a different woman and raising a family with her. Shedrick committed suicide when Karl was 14, though Malone didn't disclose the suicide until 1994. As a child, Malone often worked on the farm, chopped trees, hunted, and fished. He attended Summerfield High School and led his basketball team to three consecutive Louisiana Class C titles from 1979 to his senior season in 1981. Malone was recruited by University of Arkansas basketball coach Eddie Sutton and Louisiana Tech basketball coach Andy Russo. Originally opting for Arkansas, Malone later weighed the option to sign with Louisiana Tech, which was closer to home. This was partially influenced by his close friend and teammate Benny Anders, who had also been recruited by Arkansas, signing with the University of Houston instead. Malone ultimately signed with Louisiana Tech in April 1981. However, he was ineligible to join the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball team because his grades were too low for freshman eligibility. By the end of his freshman year, he had pushed his GPA up to 2.4, making him eligible for the basketball team the following year. In his first season with Louisiana Tech (1982–83), Malone became the first person in the Southland Conference to be named Outstanding Player and Outstanding Newcomer in the same year. In 1983, he competed in that year's Summer Universiade along with fellow future NBA player Charles Barkley. In his second season (1983–84), Malone averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Louisiana Tech finished the 1984–85 season 29–3, at the top of the Southland Conference, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history; the team finished at the Sweet 16 round. In each of his three seasons with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Malone was an All-Southland selection. In the 1985 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Karl Malone with the 13th overall pick. According to Malone's official NBA biography: "If professional scouts had correctly predicted the impact Karl Malone would have on the NBA, Malone would have been picked much higher than 13th in the 1985 NBA Draft." In fact, Malone was so convinced the Dallas Mavericks were going to select him with the eighth choice that he had already rented

Did You Know?

• Malone's 36,928 career points rank third all-time in NBA history.
• He holds the records for most free throws made and attempted.
• Malone was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 twice – for his individual career, and as a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team.
• He won gold medals with the United States national team in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.