NBA Draft: Top 30 draft steals in league history
Power Forward. 7. player. 118. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 13th Pick: 1985. Karl Malone
Best NBA Draft steals of all time: Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
Karl “The Mailman” Malone is one of the greatest power forwards to ever play in the NBA.
He started turning heads even before making it to the NBA.
Malone played college basketball for Louisiana Tech University. In his second year, he helped lead the program to its first ever NCAA Tournament berth.
After his senior year of college, Malone entered the 1985 NBA Draft where the Utah Jazz selected him with the 13th overall pick. At 22-years old, Malone came in and immediately became the starting power forward for the Jazz, averaging 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a rookie.
Malone and his point guard John Stockton formed a lethal duo, especially with their pick-and-roll offense. With a pass-friendly point guard, Malone saw his stats steadily climb to as high as 30 points per game and 11 rebounds per game.
During his 18-year run with the Jazz, Malone became a 14-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA team selection, as well as making the All-Defensive team four times and being named league MVP twice.
Malone helped the Jazz reach the NBA playoffs in all of his 18 years with the franchise. He made it to the NBA Finals twice, but never won a ring.
In the final year of his career, still trying to win an NBA title, Malone joined a “super-team” with the Los Angeles Lakers that included Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Paton. That team also made it to the NBA Finals, but lost in five games to the Detroit Pistons.
Malone is currently second all-time in scoring in the NBA and holds the record for most free throws attempted in a career.
While he never won a title, Malone’s long and incredibly successful career as a 13th pick make him a draft steal.