Karl Malone, now the third leading scorer in NBA history, was not a scoring star, an ogre or a shooting monster like Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. The proof: in 1,476 matches played, he only exceeded 40 points 44 times…
It was above all a clock set to the second: 1,134 games to more than 20 career points, the second highest total in history, now behind LeBron James (1,178).
A real machine, which almost never jams. Then, from time to time, a heat stroke. Like this April 7, 1998 when, at 34 years old, he sticks 56 points at 18/26 to shoot and 9 rebounds to the Warriors.
Never has such an old player reached 55 points, and only Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have joined him. For the “Black Mamba”, it was over 37 years old, for his last career game, in 2016, with 60 points. For “King James”, it was March 5, 2022, against the Warriors, with 56 points at over 37 as well.
Even in a historic evening for him (it’s his second best career score, behind his 61 points in 1990), “The Mailman” keeps his style sober. Mid-range shooting, low post play, power. To bring a bit of fantasy, he offers himself a 3-pt basket at the one-handed buzzer. One of his 85 award-winning shots.
It is on a classic action, a pick-and-roll with John Stockton, that he will register his last basket, that of the win in the “money-time” (victory of Jazz, 99-101). You don’t change a winning combination.
