PopOut Map: Salt Lake City
Where In the World is Karl Malone
Karl Malone, of the Utah Jazz basketball team, doesn’t come to town much any more. He was popular when he played for the Jazz with John Stockton. They were a team. Stockton even has a car dealership called “Stockton to Malone”.
Then things changed when Karl left the Jazz to go to California and play with the Lakers.
Most of the fans thought he should have stayed with the Jazz and give up his dream of a championship ring. It was disloyal to leave.
Not giving Karl any respect for the time served with the Jazz.
He simply had to do what he had to do. But fans would not forgive him for leaving. He said he would be back in two years. He was planning on building another home and make Utah the place where he would live when he retired.
That was what we thought, until the first time he came back as a Laker to play against the Jazz. He was embarrassed by the boo’s and the lack of cheers you would think he would hear.
So we haven’t seen much of Karl Malone in Utah. No new home is being built. So where is he?
His presence at the Delta Center is about to be made permanent.
Karl Malone’s NO. 32 will be raised to the rafter’s fittingly along with John Stockton’s NO 12. On March 23, 2006.
Before the retirement of his jersey, a 15-foot bronze sculpture of Malone, will be unveiled, in front of the Delta Center. It will be about 10 feet from where Stockton’s likeness already stands. The sculpture reflects their 18 seasons together with the Utah Jazz.
Just like they did every game, the sculpture of Stockton, passing the basketball to Malone who is stretching for a dunk.
This will be a great addition to the Delta Center, in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
Karl Malone retired last February with 36,928 points to his credit. More than any NBA player in history except Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Karl is also among the NBA”S top 10 in at least 9 other categories.
No one has ever shot as many free throws as Malone or played as many minutes.
Malone now lives on his Arkansas ranch.
Some of us still like to hear about the “Mailman”
The final chapter
On March 23rd 2006 Karl Malone became the 7th person in Jazz history to have his jersey retired.
A bronze statute of Malone was unveiled on thee Delta Center Plaza next to his long time teammate John Stockton.
Stockton has a statue in his likeness that has been standing at the Delta Center for over a year, since he retired. Standing there with a ball in his hand waiting expectantly.
The statue of Karl stands 18 feet including the 3 foot base on which it stands.
John Stockton’s statute is shorter as he was to Karl Malone.
The sculptor Brian Challis who designed the statute of John and Karl remarked “the way I see it, this is the last, Stockton to Malone.”
The sad and final ending of the two greats, Stockton to Malone.
His jersey will be retired later this night, right next to Stockton’s just as it should be.
Friends all the years in Utah on and off the court. Friends still today in retirement.
When ask which he would treasure the most, the bronze statute or the retirement of his jersey?
We all knew which he would choose, his statue next to John’s doing what they did best the pick and roll. Stockton to Malone.
After twenty five years in the spotlight as a star player inn Louisiana Tech, Jazz, and Lakers Malone seemed content about shifting into a lower gear of life.
It’s about family and what they should do as one, not just about him anymore.
Last year The Karl Malone family moved from New Port Beach, California to Ruston, Louisiana.
Construction on their new home will start any day now.
This is his last moved he says.
Malone’s life remains crowded with his work. He is owner of Malone Timber Company, Malone Construction, KJ’s Big Truck Wash, and other small endeavors.
“I am living my dream” Malone says, all of the things he crammed into a summer he now takes his time to do.
Two month after moving to Louisiana, hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Malone sprang into motion, ordering heavy equipment and full-loaded logging trucks to the stricken area of Mississippi.
They cleared debris from 114 lots, paving the way for temporary housing to be built.
In his spare time there he handed out supplies to all in need. That is not unusual at all for the Mailman; he always helps anyone in need, as he did in Utah, with his Kids Club, giving to those in need of a little extra help.
When a Utah family needed a van with special equipment like wheel chair ramp, and other handicap needs, and the State was unable to do it, Karl did so himself.
When he learned the Primary Children’s Hospital did not have any rocking chairs, Karl went out and bought 500 of them.
The kindness stories go on and on, most will never be told Karl Malone will never tell about them.
Today, Karl trim and buff doesn’t look like his jersey should be retired, he looks like he should be playing ball.
He played 18 seasons for the Jazz, averaging 25.4 points and 10.1 rebounds in 1434 games.
As Karl Malone strolled into the Delta Center. For the retirement of his jersey, he was greeted by a thunderous cheering crowed.
I think the big man may have been a little overwhelmed, he had no way of knowing how thee fan would receive him after the last time he came as a Laker and was booed all through the game.
For all unknown reasons and only speculation he was booed because he left Utah to play for the Lakers. Narrow minded people in a narrow minded town.
The Mailman tried twice to launch his jersey retirement acceptance speech, only to have the combination of the adorning crowd and his own emotions keep him from saying anything.
This night was not about acceptance it was about retirement of No. 32 jersey, hoisted to the rafters along side of John Stockton’s.
So many things happened in one terrific day for the Mailman he had a hard time with thee delivery. The Mailman always delivers.
He asks to spend time alone with his statue, before he left for his private retirement ceremony. Walking around it and gathering his final thoughts and collecting him.
Later when ask if he had any second thoughts about not finishing his NBA with the Jazz, he resolved “it is not a day of regrets, I did what I wanted to do, and I just did not do what the people of Utah wanted me to do.”
“Eighteen years, how many more did they want from me? I gave you eighteen of them.”
For those of us who love Malone and would like to keep him in Utah, it is hard to think about the last Stockton to Malone. When they played they were a team, making the basketball game a real game to watch. Thinking of the never seeing Karl Malone, The Mailman is hard to get use to, goodbye Karl, or is it?
When ask if he would except a job form the Jazz he replied “all it would take is one call.”
But ask if he would move back, his answer was no. He has moved his last time, so he said he would just have to commute.
