This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Some leftover questions and answers from recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Karl Malone:—-Question: What did you like most about playing alongside John Stockton for so many years?Answer: "My favorite part was how professional he was. I learned things from him. How he took care of his body, how he handled his business. ... With him on that court, I thought we could win every game."Question: Did Stockton help you become a Hall of Famer?Answer: "No doubt. But a lot of people helped me get to the Hall of Fame. For me, everything had to totally fall in the right place. ... I had Frank Layden dare to take a chance on a guy from Louisiana. I had to have Jerry Sloan as my coach — to continue to run the [same] plays for 18 years. I had to have John Stockton to pass me the ball for 18 years. And also, I had to have state of Utah embrace me — a black kid from Louisiana going to Utah. But the people of Utah accepted me from the first day." Question: Physically, it looks like would could still play 20 or 25 minutes a night. I know you are 47 years old and seem content in retirement, but did ever think about trying to play again?Answer: "Oh, no. Hell no."Question: "What kind of businesses are you involved in these days?Answer: "We still do our land stuff. But, to be honest, I've got out of a lot of the every day stuff. When you get older — I'm not old, but when you get older — you just kind of reorganize what you're doing. You realize that the risk-rewards don't always add up. And you finally get tired of the hustle and bustle. You start spending most of your time doing the things that are really important — like doing things with family and friends."Question: What is your favorite memory of your 18 seasons with the Jazz?Answer: My best memory was the shot Stock hit in Houston to go to the NBA Finals for the first time. And No. 2 would have to be getting my first MVP [trophy]. The Delta Center was packed. People were having a great time. And they were all Jazz fans — just happy Jazz fans."Question: Speaking of Stockton's shot that won Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference finals in Houston, a lot of people think he got open because of an illegal screen you set on Clyde Drexler. Any thoughts, more than 13 years after the fact?Answer: "Yeah, I picked him up and threw him in jail, right? But you know what? Stock hit the shot and we won the game. End of story."— Steve Luhm