“My feelings were hurt” – Jazz legend Karl Malone HATED one team for betraying him 

It took Karl Malone a decade to come to terms with the disappointment of going undrafted by the Dallas Mavericks, despite his outstanding college career. Before becoming a Utah Jazz legend, Malone had believed he would be selected by the Mavericks. However, in the 1985 draft, the Mavs chose an international player, Detlef Schrempf, with the eighth pick instead.

Malone was selected as the thirteenth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, and the rest is history. Despite his successful career with the Jazz, Malone never forgot that the Mavericks passed on him in the draft. He revealed that he felt a sense of disappointment for being overlooked by the Mavericks and needed to express those feelings.

I was just convinced they were going to draft me. But they didn’t. And I wanted to be close to home. But you know what, I was still close to home. I just went to Utah. I just always growing up wanted to play for the Mavericks because I had the opportunity to play at the next level. But they didn’t. So it hurt my feelings for about 10 years, but it worked out unbelievably for me in Utah as you know.

Malone said in an interview with the Dallas News.

Malone’s recollection of the situation highlighted the convenience of getting to the NBA, considering that Dallas was just a four-hour drive from his hometown in Summerfield, Louisiana. Malone had visited Louisiana Tech multiple times before the draft and had a genuine belief that he would be selected by the Mavericks. He was so optimistic about joining the Mavericks that he had even moved to the city before the draft night.

Mavericks definitely made a mistake by not drafting Karl Malone

The Mavericks eventually acquired the player they had targeted in Detlef Schrempf, but his tenure in Dallas was relatively short, spanning only four years. During his time with the Mavericks, Schrempf played in 264 games, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals.

In contrast, Karl Malone is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. He earned two MVP awards and led the Jazz to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. At the time of his retirement, he was the second all-time leading scorer in the league and widely regarded as one of the best power forwards to have ever played the game.

In an alternate universe, Karl Malone might have realized his dream of playing for the Dallas Mavericks. However, in such a scenario, the iconic phrase “Stockton to Malone” would likely have been limited to All-Star games only. Had Malone not made his mark in Salt Lake City, his career would have undoubtedly taken a different trajectory.

In case you missed:

• “Shoutout the children of LA strippers” – James Harden’s trade to Clippers to change lives of city’s strip club workers, claim NBA fans
• “What was I going to do?” Coach Gregg Popovich hilariously recalls falling asleep as phenom Victor Wembanyama was drafted

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW