Few legendary NBA duos are as iconic and dominant as Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz. These two shared an unbreakable bond on and off the court, leaning on that unreal chemistry to lead the Jazz to numerous deep playoff runs that included several NBA Finals appearances.
Malone, aptly nicknamed “The Mailman” for his incredible ability to deliver buckets, was undoubtedly Stockton’s favorite target. The two worked the pick-and-roll so well that the conventional NBA play became almost an unstoppable force, often leaving defenders scratching their heads in frustration.
But despite their undeniable success, Malone admits that he, too, fell into the trap of taking Stockton’s excellence for granted. In an interview with Slam Magazine, the Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on playing alongside John and how he eventually learned to appreciate just how special of a player he was.
Recipient of many perfect passes
Stockton finished his remarkable career with nearly 16,000 assists. It’s safe to say that most of those went to Malone, who finished his career as third on the NBA’s list of all-time scorers with 36,928 points. At the height of their partnership, Karl shared that he expected a perfect pass from his court general on every trip down the floor. More often than not, that is what he got from the Gonzaga product.