Most of the time, fans only get good vibes when facing NBA superstars, such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or current NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal. The story is different, though, for Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone as he was recently named the player that sends out the most bad vibes to everyone.
Malone first entered the league as the Jazz’ 13th overall pick in the 1985 Draft after spending three years playing college basketball for Louisiana Tech. Right from the get-go, the 6’9″ power forward made his presence felt when he played 81 games, 76 as a starter, and averaged 14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Over the years, Malone would improve exponentially and form a lethal partnership with Jazz point guard John Stockton. The duo led Utah to consistent playoff appearances, including two trips to the NBA Finals. However, they fell flat on their faces on those two instances due to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls‘ dominance during those years.
By the end of his 19-year run in the NBA, 18 with the Jazz and a single season playing with Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant for the Los Angeles Lakers, Malone amassed a collection of awards and achievements along the way. Some of these include two regular season MVPs, two All-Star Game MVPs, 14 All-Star Game appearances, and 14 All-NBA team selections. He is also third in the league’s all-time scoring leaders, just behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lakers star LeBron James.
Utah Jazz Legendary Power Forward Karl Malone Tops Poll for Player With Ultimate Bad Vibes
While his accomplishments on the court are stellar, his reputation amongst fans is the total opposite. This can be seen in an online poll conduced by Nate Silver and posted on his X account:
Durant has the 3rd worst vibes out of any player in the Twitter poll I conducted. Nearly in Karl Malone territory. Not good. pic.twitter.com/t4ZrIaKujc
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) May 7, 2024
Apart from Malone, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant are the only active players at the bottom of the list. On the other hand, Curry and Jokic are on the other end of the poll, which meant that they are seen as positive players by the fans.
Even though he has been out of the league for years, it looks like Malone still hasn’t gone over with fans these days. In any case, his accomplishments still speak a lot about his game and the impact he made on the league during his time playing for it.
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