Richard Jefferson Choosing ‘Professional’ Karl Malone over Charles Barkley Enrages Fans: “Who is Going to Tell Him?”

Charles Barkley and Karl Malone had their own share of off-court shenanigans that have impacted their basketball legacies.

Richard Jefferson Choosing ‘Professional’ Karl Malone over Charles Barkley Enrages Fans: “Who is Going to Tell Him?”

Richard Jefferson picked Karl Malone over Charles Barkley (Image via FirstSportz)

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In the 80s and 90s, the two best power forwards in the NBA were Charles Barkley and Karl Malone. The two were so good on the court that Team USA head coach Chuck Daly knew he would not do justice by picking one over the other as a starter.

Barkley ended up becoming the 1992 Dream Team’s best player. He wanted to prove to the world how good he was, and that was his first shot at cementing his legacy.

The following 1992-93 season, he kept his promise to Daly and went on to beat then-best friend Michael Jordan to the league MVP award. The two then met in the NBA Finals, and the ‘Round Mound of Rebound’ agreed that his friend was a step above him.

But he would not agree to such a thing when it came to the power forward position. He would still reiterate that he was above Malone in the pegging order. To this, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson has a different opinion.

The reason why I would pick Karl Malone over Charles is because of the level of professionalism that Karl Malone always approached. So when I look at Karl Malone, with Charles when he was in Philly, he was in and out of shape, and then he would, you know, some of his off-the-court partying that we knew about…I’m saying Charles was a rebel. He’s not a role model.

Richard Jefferson said

After saying this, the ESPN analyst told his Road Trippin’ podcast colleagues that Karl Malone’s work ethic and skills on the court, along with his drive, were enough for Jefferson to pick him over Barkley. If not for his injuries, maybe Malone could have been an all-time great scorer.

Fans shake their heads at Richard Jefferson’s opinion on Karl Malone

Basketball fans understood the part about the focus, drive, and skills Karl Malone showcased. But they could not wrap their heads around the fact that Richard Jefferson believes Malone’s professionalism and lack of off-court shenanigans were better than Charles Barkley’s.

He might be referring solely to the latter’s altercations with fans and gambling habits. Fans, however, could not understand how Jefferson forgot about Malone’s history of impregnating a young girl. They took to social media to remind the ESPN analyst that, based on off-court issues, the Utah Jazz great has done more harm than Barkley. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Had Richard Jefferson based his choice on just basketball matters, it would have been enough to justify his selection. The moment he brought in off-court issues, the justification seemed as if he was not informed, or was fine with Karl Malone‘s past.

Karl Malone vs. Charles Barkley purely based on basketball skills

Leaving their off-court issues out of the picture, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley are justifiably two Hall of Famers. Both were two of the best to ever play the game. That is why both are in the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.

Karl Malone and Charles Barkley in the 90s
Karl Malone and Charles Barkley in the 90s (Image via Open Source/X)

On pure statistical comparisons, the Jazz forward edges his rival. Even his skills as a scorer were better than Barkley’s. The latter needed to rely more on his athletic skills to make a mark.

Malone was more sublime in his touch around the rim. However, Barkley’s relentless energy made up for his shortcomings as a pure shooter. The latter did not play as many games as the Jazz star, but made do with what he had in his body.

The Phoenix Suns legend also did not have a Hall of Fame star playing alongside him the way Malone had. Despite their shortcomings, both of them have one aspect in common.

They both battled a prime Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals and lost. If not for ‘His Airness’, who knows how many championships those two legendary power forwards would have had etched into their legacies.

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