Karl Malone

Karl Anthony Malone (the Mailman), is an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player. He was born on July 24, 1963, in Summerfield, Louisiana. The Utah Jazz selected him as the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft. He played 18 seasons for the Utah Jazz (1985-2003) and was chosen as a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player.

Karl Anthony is considered among the most incredible power forwards in NBA history. He was a 14-time NBA All-Star and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. He has collected over 36,928 career points and ranks third in the all-time scoring list of the NBA.

Karl Malone Early Life

Karl Malone was born in Summerland, Louisiana, the youngest among nine siblings and was raised by his single mother (Shirley Jackson Malone). His parents separated when he was just three years old. His father, Shedrick Hay, was committed in a relationship with another woman and raising a family with her.

Shedrick committed suicide when Karl was just 14. Karl spent his early years in Louisiana working on a farm, where he was involved in various activities such as chopping trees, hunting and fishing.

Karl Malone Education

Karl Anthony Malone enrolled at Summerfield High School. He played basketball for the school team and assisted the team in winning the three consecutive Louisiana Class C titles from 1979 to 1981.

He attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, but could not play in his freshman year due to his low grades. So, he played college basketball for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Basketball team in his sophomore year under coach Andy Rosso. Karl was an All-Southland selection. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs got a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Karl Malone finished the 1983-84 season, averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Karl Malone's NBA Journey

Utah Jazz

The Professional NBA career of Karl Malone began after being selected as the 13th overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 1985 NBA draft. Malone was expecting to be chosen by the Dallas Mavericks as the eighth choice, but the Mavericks selected Detlef Schrempf. During his first season, Karl averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds with the Utah Jazz under the guidance of head coach Frank Layden. In a match against the Houston Rockets on January 14, 1986, he scored 29 points and secured a 105-102 win over the Houston Rockets. Karl averaged 21.7 points in 24 of 29 games between February 1 and April 3, 1987.

Karl Malone played his first All-Star Game in 1988 due to his impressive scoring average of 27.1 points per game. At the end of the season, he made to All-NBA team. In the 1988 NBA All-Star Game, The Utah Jazz got third place in the Midwest division, beating the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. Karl averaged 29.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in 11 playoff games in 1988.

Karl signed a 10-year contract with the Utah Jazz worth $18 million in the 1988 offseason. He scored 28 points and nine rebounds in the 1989 NBA All-Star Game. He was regarded as the NBA All-Star MVP for the first time.

Karl led his team (Utah Jazz) to two consecutive NBA Finals in the 1996-97 season. He was honoured with NBA Most Valuable Player Award, and the Utah Jazz was the top team in the Western Conference. Karl averaged 27 points per game in the next season but unfortunately missed his second MVP award. The Utah Jazz defeated the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals by scoring 37 points.

During the Lockout in November 1998, Karl announced that he would demand a trade from the Jazz after the end of the Lockout. The season resumed in February 1999, and Karl won his second MVP award during the 50-game regular season. In Game 5 of the regular season of 1999, he injured Brian Grant, a Portland Trail Blazers player, for which he was fined $10,000.

Karl scored 36,374 points with the Jazz and ranked second on the NBA All-time Scoring list. His contract with the Jazz expired in 2003, making him a free agent.

Los Angeles Lakers

Karl “The Mailman’ joined the Los Angeles Lakers to play for one more season in the NBA. Unluckily, he suffered from a knee injury in a match against the Phoenix Suns, so he missed 39 games. Karl returned in the playoffs at the end of the season and won 56 games. His dream to win an NBA championship remained unfulfilled as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Lakers in five games in the 2004 NBA Finals.

Retirement

After playing a season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Karl became a free agent. Before the 2005 NBA All-Star Game, he was expected to sign with the San Antonio Spurs. But, Karl officially announced his retirement in a press conference on February 13, 2005, and his jersey number 32 was retired by the Utah Jazz on March 23, 2006.

Karl Malone Awards and Achievements

Karl Malone’s Net Worth

As of 2023, the net worth of Karl Malone is estimated to be around $55 million. He earned nearly $19.2 million in NBA salary in 19 years contributing significantly to his net worth.

In addition to his NBA salary, Karl has also earned money from brand endorsements and other business ventures. After retiring from the NBA, he remained active in business ventures, including restaurants, takeaways and car dealerships.

Karl Malone’s Wife

Karl (The Mailman) is married to Kay Kinsey, a retired supermodel. Kay gained more recognition after winning the Ms Idaho Competition in 1988. As she became more well-known, it’s likely that Malone became aware of her.

They met in Salt Lake City in 1989 and married on December 24, 1990.

Karl Malone’s Kids

After tying the knot, Karl Malone and Kay Kinsey welcomed their four kids ( KJ, Karlee, Kadee and Kylee) into their family. Out of the four siblings, KJ had a successful career in American football. But unfortunately, his hopes were dashed due to past injuries that left him with physical limitations.

Moreover, Karl Malone was already the father of two twins (Daryl and Cheryl) with his college girlfriend, Bonita Ford. According to the reports, Karl Malone has a child with a 13-year-old girl named Gloria Bell after a brief relationship.

Karl Malone Parents

Shedrick Hay and Shirley Malone are Karl Malone’s parents. His parents divorced when he was just a toddler. Karl was primarily raised by his mother, Shirley Malone, as his father committed suicide when he was 14. His mother always supported him in pursuing his career in basketball.

In addition, with his mother's guidance, Karl developed into a confident adult who approached each day with success, knowing that his basketball career couldn’t last forever.