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Utah Jazz: 25 Best Players To Play For The Jazz

By Phil Watson

Apr 1, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The trees in full bloom and a general view of at Vivint Smart Home Arena where the Utah Jazz will play the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The trees in full bloom and a general view of at Vivint Smart Home Arena where the Utah Jazz will play the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Basketball: Utah Jazz Karl Malone (32) in action, defense vs Houston Rockets at Delta Center. Salt Lake City, UT 4/11/1999 CREDIT: John W. McDonough (Photo by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X57680 )
Basketball: Utah Jazz Karl Malone (32) in action, defense vs Houston Rockets at Delta Center. Salt Lake City, UT 4/11/1999 CREDIT: John W. McDonough (Photo by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X57680 ) /

Karl Malone. 1. player. 118. <strong>How acquired:</strong> 13th overall pick from Louisiana Tech, 1985 NBA Draft.. PF. 1985-2003

Karl Malone was a confusing creature coming out of Louisiana Tech, where his numbers and playing time decreased in each of his three seasons.

He averaged more than 16 points and nine rebounds a game as a senior and the Utah Jazz took the enigmatic power forward with the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.

UTA_01_MALONE
UTA_01_MALONE /

It might have been the best decision the franchise ever made.

Malone went on to become the only player in Jazz history to earn NBA MVP honors, winning in both 1996-97 and 1998-99 and finishing in the top five in the voting seven other times.

He was a 14-time All-Star in Utah and a two-time All-Star Game MVP, winning in 1989 and sharing the honor with teammate John Stockton in 1993.

He was also a 14-time All-NBA selection, a four-time All-Defensive pick and was named All-Rookie in 1985-86.

While never leading the NBA in a major category, Malone finished in the top five in scoring 13 times, in rebounding four times, in minutes per game four times and in field-goal percentage in 1989-90.

In the 1997 NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls, he averaged 23.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 40.8 minutes per game, shooting .443/0-for-1/.603 in a six-game loss for the Jazz.

The following year, he averaged 25 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and a steal in 40.5 minutes per game, shooting .504/0-for-1/.789, but the Bulls again won the title in six games.

He left to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in July 2003.

In 18 seasons in Utah, Malone averaged 25.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 37.3 minutes per game, shooting .517/.275/.742.

Malone was unsigned in the summer of 2004 and officially retired in February 2005.

Next: 50 Greatest NBA Players Of The 1970s

Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, he is fourth in NBA history with 1,476 games, second with 54,852 minutes played and 36,928 points, seventh with 14,968 rebounds, 10th with 2,085 steals, 25th with an average of 37.2 minutes per game, 11th with an average of 25 points per game and 40th with an average of 10.1 rebounds per game.

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