Karl Malone was in town this weekend for a big celebration at his car dealership. He actually comes to Utah a lot, but we don't always hear about it. But this trip, he let the media stop by and chat with him because of his upcoming induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Karl and I started here in Utah at the same time, in 1985. We've always been pretty good friends. I treated him fairly, and he appreciated it. He was always gracious to me, and I appreciated that. When he won his first MVP award in 1997, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for his playoff performances. He signed a bunch of them and gave them to people he liked. I heard he gave 3 to the media-one to Craig Bolerjack, one to Dave Blackwell, and one to me. I will always be grateful.
But its been a while since I've talked to him. So when we sat down on Friday afternoon, I was taken aback by 2 things. #1-I forgot how fun it is to chat with him, and #2-I forgot how big he is. He's huge! He turned 47 on Saturday, and he looks like he could still play at an All-Star level. Incredible.
He always has an opinion, and we chatted for almost 30 minutes on a variety of subjects. He was happy and laughing and friendly, and I kept thinking how much I miss dealing with him and how the game is worse off because he's not in the NBA anymore and how much the Jazz could use a guy like him right now.
I think Malone is the greatest power forward to ever play the game. Maybe not the most talented, but because of his hard work, he became the greatest. He deserves his spot in the Hall of Fame. I miss him. The Mailman can still deliver!
