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KSL joins the community in expressing a fond farewell to Karl Malone. That the Mailman would formally announce an end to his storied basketball career on Sunday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City seemed only right. Though he played a year in Los Angeles, he’ll always be remembered as a Jazz man.
For 18 years, Malone helped define the nature of athletic competition, even culture in Utah. It came through the unparalleled power and precision of his play on the basketball floor and his endearing presence in the community, as well as those occasional soap-opera moments that were as entertaining as they were exasperating.
Along the way, he accomplished so much: number two all-time scorer in NBA history; two-time league MVP; 14 All-Star games; Dream Team; Olympic Gold; and game after game of Stockton to Malone! Of course, we all wish the list included an NBA Championship.
Nevertheless, Malone’s legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game is secure. One day his statue will add a degree of artistic mystic to the Delta Center and he’s certain to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. For most of two-decades, Utahns have been treated to the presence of a genuine big-league superstar. It has been a most unique experience, speaking collectively, for all of us.
