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Game state source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 5:36 pm EDTNBA legend. Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Biography, honors and career statistics below.
Karl Malone
Career at a glance
Karl Malone played 19 NBA regular seasons between 1985 and 2004, appearing in 1,476 games and averaging 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He played for 2 teams: Utah (1985–03, 1,434 games), L.A. Lakers (2003–04, 42 games). His best scoring season was 1989–90 with Utah: 31.0 points per game over 82 games.
He rebounded best in 1987–88 at 12.0 per game. In the playoffs he appeared in 19 postseason runs (193 games, 24.7 points per game). Multiplying each season’s games by its scoring average gives roughly 36,900 regular-season points (an estimate from per-game figures, not an official total).
Among the 404 players with at least 200 NBA games profiled on whynba, Malone ranks No. 15 in points per game.
whynba analysis of the season-by-season statistics below (Wikipedia revision, CC BY-SA 4.0). Totals are estimates from per-game averages.
About Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963), nicknamed "the Mailman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, and in his last season, the Los Angeles Lakers. During his tenure with the Jazz, he formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton and together they led the team to two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, losing both times to the Chicago Bulls. Malone's 36,928 career points scored rank third all-time in NBA history and he holds the records for most free throws made and attempted, in addition to being tied for the second-most first-team All-NBA selections with Kobe Bryant (11), both behind LeBron James (13).
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.
- Born
- July 24, 1963 (age 63) Summerfield, Louisiana, U.S.
- Listed height
- 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
- Listed weight
- 259 lb (117 kg)
- Position
- Power forward
- High school
- Summerfield (Summerfield, Louisiana)
- College
- Louisiana Tech (1982–1985)
- NBA draft
- 1985: 1st round, 13th overall pick
- Playing career
- 1985–2004
Career highlights and awards
- 2× NBA Most Valuable Player (1997, 1999)
- 14× NBA All-Star (1988–1998, 2000–2002)
- 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1989, 1993)
- 11× All-NBA First Team (1989–1999)
- 2× All-NBA Second Team (1988, 2000)
- All-NBA Third Team (2001)
- 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1997–1999)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (1986)
- NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
- No. 32 retired by Utah Jazz
- Second-team All-American – NABC (1985)
- Southland Player of the Year (1983)
- 3× First-team All-Southland (1983–1985)
- No. 32 retired by Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Career statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–86 | Utah | 81 | 76 | 30.6 | .496 | .000 | .481 | 8.9 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 14.9 |
| 1986–87 | Utah | 82* | 82* | 34.8 | .512 | .000 | .598 | 10.4 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 21.7 |
| 1987–88 | Utah | 82 | 82* | 39.0 | .520 | .000 | .700 | 12.0 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 27.7 |
| 1988–89 | Utah | 80 | 80 | 39.1 | .519 | .313 | .766 | 10.7 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 29.1 |
| 1989–90 | Utah | 82* | 82* | 38.1 | .562 | .372 | .762 | 11.1 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 31.0 |
| 1990–91 | Utah | 82* | 82* | 40.3 | .527 | .286 | .770 | 11.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 29.0 |
| 1991–92 | Utah | 81 | 81 | 37.7 | .526 | .176 | .778 | 11.2 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 28.0 |
| 1992–93 | Utah | 82 | 82* | 37.8 | .552 | .200 | .740 | 11.2 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 27.0 |
| 1993–94 | Utah | 82* | 82* | 40.6 | .497 | .250 | .694 | 11.5 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 25.2 |
| 1994–95 | Utah | 82* | 82* | 38.1 | .536 | .268 | .742 | 10.6 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 26.7 |
| 1995–96 | Utah | 82 | 82* | 38.0 | .519 | .400 | .723 | 9.8 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 25.7 |
| 1996–97 | Utah | 82 | 82* | 36.6 | .550 | .000 | .755 | 9.9 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 27.4 |
| 1997–98 | Utah | 81 | 81 | 37.4 | .530 | .333 | .761 | 10.3 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 27.0 |
| 1998–99 | Utah | 49 | 49 | 37.4 | .493 | .000 | .788 | 9.4 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 23.8 |
| 1999–00 | Utah | 82 | 82* | 35.9 | .509 | .250 | .797 | 9.5 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 25.5 |
| 2000–01 | Utah | 81 | 81 | 35.7 | .498 | .400 | .793 | 8.3 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 23.2 |
| 2001–02 | Utah | 80 | 80 | 38.0 | .454 | .360 | .797 | 8.6 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 22.4 |
| 2002–03 | Utah | 81 | 81 | 36.2 | .462 | .214 | .763 | 7.8 | 4.7 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 20.6 |
| 2003–04 | L.A. Lakers | 42 | 42 | 32.7 | .483 | .000 | .747 | 8.7 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 13.2 |
| Career | 1,476 | 1,471 | 37.2 | .516 | .274 | .742 | 10.1 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 25.0 | |
| All-Star | 12 | 8 | 20.3 | .542 | – | .725 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 12.1 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Utah | 4 | 4 | 36.0 | .528 | .000 | .423 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .0 | 21.8 |
| 1987 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 40.0 | .420 | .000 | .722 | 9.6 | 1.2 | 2.2 | .8 | 20.0 |
| 1988 | Utah | 11 | 11 | 44.9 | .482 | .000 | .723 | 11.8 | 1.5 | 1.2 | .6 | 29.7 |
| 1989 | Utah | 3 | 3 | 45.3 | .500 | .000 | .813 | 16.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 30.7 |
| 1990 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 40.6 | .438 | .000 | .756 | 10.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 25.2 |
| 1991 | Utah | 9 | 9 | 42.6 | .455 | .000 | .846 | 13.3 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 29.7 |
| 1992 | Utah | 16 | 16 | 43.0 | .521 | .000 | .805 | 11.3 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 29.1 |
| 1993 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 43.2 | .454 | .500 | .816 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 1.2 | .4 | 24.0 |
| 1994 | Utah | 16 | 16 | 43.9 | .467 | .000 | .738 | 12.4 | 3.4 | 1.4 | .8 | 27.1 |
| 1995 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 43.2 | .466 | .333 | .692 | 13.2 | 3.8 | 1.4 | .4 | 30.2 |
| 1996 | Utah | 18 | 18 | 40.3 | .469 | .000 | .574 | 10.3 | 4.4 | 1.9 | .6 | 26.5 |
| 1997 | Utah | 20 | 20 | 40.8 | .435 | .500 | .720 | 11.4 | 2.9 | 1.4 | .8 | 26.0 |
| 1998 | Utah | 20 | 20 | 39.8 | .471 | .000 | .788 | 10.9 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 26.3 |
| 1999 | Utah | 11 | 11 | 41.0 | .417 | .000 | .791 | 11.3 | 4.7 | 1.2 | .7 | 21.8 |
| 2000 | Utah | 10 | 10 | 38.6 | .520 | 1.000 | .810 | 8.9 | 3.1 | .7 | .7 | 27.2 |
| 2001 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 39.8 | .405 | .500 | .796 | 8.8 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .8 | 27.6 |
| 2002 | Utah | 4 | 4 | 40.8 | .411 | .000 | .714 | 7.5 | 4.5 | .8 | .8 | 20.0 |
| 2003 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 38.2 | .405 | .000 | .732 | 6.8 | 4.0 | 1.6 | .4 | 19.6 |
| 2004 | L.A. Lakers | 21 | 21 | 38.0 | .450 | .000 | .630 | 8.8 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .1 | 11.5 |
| Career | 193 | 193 | 41.0 | .463 | .162 | .736 | 10.7 | 3.2 | 1.3 | .7 | 24.7 |
Per-game averages. † won an NBA championship · * led the league · ‡ NBA record (as marked).
Profile observation date unavailable.
- Height
- 6′ 9″
- Weight
- 259 lb
- Position
- Power forward
- Jersey
- Not listed
- Country
- USA
- School / last affiliation
- Not listed
- Draft year
- 1985
- Draft pick
- Round 1 · Pick 13
Height, Weight, Position, Country, Draft year, Draft pick: blank in the NBA.com profile, filled from the Wikipedia infobox credited in the About section above.
Roster observations
These dates show when our saved NBA directory observations listed this player with a team. They are not signing, trade or contract dates, and this is not a complete career history.
No roster observations are stored for this player. Historical profile details above do not establish a current team assignment.
Profile source
Biographical fields reflect the saved official profile at the check time shown above. Team assignments use the dated directory evidence in Roster observations. Offseason rosters and jersey numbers can change.
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