The late 90s to early 2000s were a great time for basketball, and they were an interesting time for amazing, and legendary teams that didn't necessary win a title or rings. The Stockton and Malone era was one of the greatest of all time, and although neither won a ring, they were both seen as an incredibly lethal combination on rank with MJ and Pippen, and Duncan and Robinson.
Malone snagged a couple of MVPs on his way to the finals for his unbelievable tenacity under the basket, and his fearsome presence on the court. Nobody had deltoids like the mailman, and with the moustache to match, he was a real life Paul Bunyan. John Stockton was his go to man, and as one of the smaller point guards of that (agressive and physical) era I respected the hell out of him!
Here is a photo of the jersey I bought in the early 2000s around the time they signed Andre Kirilenko (excuse the rust and must it's been in storage for years):
I remember that fact because I was deciding whether to get a signed Kirilenko or Malone jersey, and then I realized it wasn't even a question of what the right answer should be.
I will never forget the final few minutes of 1998's NBA Championship Finals Game between the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls. In a matter of moments, the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan melted the hearts of his opponents, and turned a close game into the farthest thing from that...
From Michael Jordan's incredible juke on Karl Malone, to sinking the mid range jumper and giving his team a 1 point lead with only seconds on the clock, to even Bryce Harper getting a last minute touch on the ball with Stockton shooting that one last 3 for the glory of his brilliant season; the makings of this NBA game shook 9 year old me to his core, and although the Jazz are my team, Michael Jordan is my GOAT!
I feel like Malone is getting more respect now than ever in the commercials and pranks he's been a part of. If you haven't seen him playing a janitor and pranking the all star Anthony Davis, check it out here!
Why I've Always Kind of Hated Kobe Bryant:
Karl Malone played out his tenure in Los Angeles, and as a Cali kid I was actually ecstatic. I had his jersey and everything beacuse I knew Malone's skill set could be amazing with the Black Mamba... but things weren't so matchmade in heaven.
With Kobe struggling from the year prior with the media and his familial issues, I think he just wasn't an all star player in those follow up years to his spectacular run with Shaq. I also think he inflated the story about Karl flirting with his wife Vanessa to take off some of the heat about the whole Kate Faber situation, and I also think he just wasn't playing at his best. Malone helped them get to the first round of the finals in 2004, and after retiring, Kobe didn't even win a championship until 2010. I have a lot of beef with Kobe, but most of it started here.
Regardless of the end to his career, Malone was an absolute monster in his prime! He with Stockton were legends, and this duo was one of the best ever!
Do you remember this era of basketball? Were the Jazz as good as I remember them, or do nostalgia goggles hold me to a lower standard? Tell me about your favorite team below!
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