Where are They Now: Karl "The Mailman" Malone

Hall of Fame basketball player Karl Malone might be going on 50 years old but he looks like he could still lace up and get back on the court. “The Mailman” wasn’t just any NBA player; he was one of the best that we’ve ever seen. Teaming up with NBA legend John Stockton with the Utah Jazz, they had some great moments and years taking the league by storm. Not bad for a kid from Summerfield, LA; mainly a town that most never heard of. Being drafted in the NBA in 1985 wasn’t a given for Malone. He paid his dues by playing for Louisiana Tech University where they didn’t have much luck making the big dance which is the NCAA tournament. Once Malone arrived he changed that.

Malone is considered by many one of the best power forwards to ever play the game and I would definitely agree to that. Back in the early 90’s when I first started watching basketball I recognized Malone and he was just a different player that I’ve ever seen before. His game was aggressive with a bit of finesse to it, but this man looked like the incredible hulk. He looked like he could just bulldoze you out the way to get to the basket. Malone was a player that put a lot of effort and practice into his craft and he wanted to perfect it. Once was a two-time MVP of the league and he was almost 35 years old on his first one. That was a feat of itself. Many people don’t know that Malone ranks second in point scored in NBA history (36,928). You were probably wondering, where the hell all those points came from.

Looking back at Malone’s career I would say he was kind of underrated as a superstar. Many looked at him when he played for the Jazz as a really good player that plays with a great point guard, but he didn’t get the total respect that was deserved. Maybe it was because the NBA great Michael Jordan was getting most of the attention in the 90’s? Who really knows why but Malone was every bit of the competitor that could change any team. He wasn’t just the face of the Utah Jazz; Malone was the ambassador of the NBA. He was one of those rising stars. He may haven’t won a NBA championship but the career he had many that have won a championship would trade that in any day to be Malone. Don’t get me wrong guys, it is all about winning championships but Malone was in a different class and you know it!

Today Malone is just the same guy he was while he played for the Jazz and the one season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a businessman, father, husband and many others that I will go down the line. Malone as you know he loves to fish, hike, raise cattle and hunts. Malone is a great entrepreneur that as many businesses across the country. You would never think we would have another Magic Johnson in business because many athletes that retire from sports usually go broke in 5 years; not “The Mailman”. He believes that you just sit on the money that you have and don’t have anything else going you will lose it all. So today you can find Malone on TV commercials or making public appearances. Just maybe and I say just maybe you can find Malone in Utah hosting his own radio show for ESPN 700 and he is not just talking sports; he is talking life. Do you think Malone is one of the greatest NBA players that played the game?