Karl Anthony Malone is a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player who spent 18 seasons as a power forward with the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. Born on July 24, 1963, in Summerfield, Louisiana, Malone was the youngest of nine children born to Shirley Malone and Shedrick Hay. He grew up working on a farm, chopping trees, hunting, and fishing. Tragically, his father committed suicide when Malone was 14 years old.
Malone attended Summerfield High School in Summerfield, Louisiana, where he led the basketball team to three consecutive Louisiana Class C state championships from 1979 to his senior year in 1981. Malone graduated from Summerfield High in 1981.
After high school, Malone enrolled at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. He joined the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball team during his sophomore year, as he was academically ineligible to play during his freshman year. Under Coach Andy Russo, Malone averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during the 1983–1984 season. In the 1984–1985 season, he led the Bulldogs to a 29–3 regular season record and first place in the Southland Conference. The team reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in overtime to the University of Oklahoma Sooners, 86–84.
Malone declared for the 1985 NBA Draft and was selected 13th overall by the Utah Jazz, where he played alongside fellow NBA star John Stockton. During his time with the Jazz, Malone became a 14-time NBA All-Star, 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, 11-time All-NBA First Team selection, 3-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, and 2-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was also a member of the gold medal-winning United States Men’s Basketball Teams in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, held in Barcelona, Spain, and Atlanta, Georgia, respectively.
In 1996, Malone was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He helped lead the Jazz to two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, both times falling to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Nicknamed “The Mailman” for always delivering on the court, Malone played with the Jazz until the end of the 2002–2003 season. He then joined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2003–2004 season, playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Gary Payton. That team reached the 2004 NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons. Malone retired from the NBA at age 41.
Following his retirement, the Utah Jazz retired Malone’s jersey number 32 on March 26, 2006. He was also honored with a bronze statue outside the EnergySolutions Arena (now the Delta Center). Malone is the third all-time leading scorer in NBA history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James.
In 2007, Malone returned to Louisiana Tech University as the director of basketball promotion and assistant strength and conditioning coach, a position he held until 2011. In 2010, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: once for his individual career and again as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team.” In 2021, he was once again honored as one of the greatest players in NBA history, being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Malone is married to Kay Kinsey, and the couple has four children together.
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