Karl Malone returns to Utah’s All-Star weekend as a judge for dunk contest
Feb 15, 2023, 5:26 PM | Updated: 5:28 pm
(Associated Press)
SALT LAKE CITY – Karl Malone will be back in Utah to help judge the NBA Dunk Contest during All-Star Saturday night.
The league announced that The Mailman would be one of five judges tasked with picking a winner at the premiere event during Saturday’s festivities.
Malone will join Dominque Wilkins, Lisa Leslie, Jamal Crawford, and Harold Minor who won the dunk contest in 1993 the last time it was in Utah as a judge for the event.
Presenting 2023 #ATTSlamDunk Judge.. Karl Malone! #StateFarmSaturday: Feb. 18, TNT pic.twitter.com/PzGT9003CC
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 15, 2023
The Jazz will be well represented at All-Star Saturday night with Malone judging the dunk contest, Lauri Markkanen competing in the Three-Point Shootout, and Walker Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton competing in the Skills Challenge.
Mailman won the All-Star MVP award twice, including in 1993 alongside Jazz teammate John Stockton.
He is making a rare public appearance after leaving the public eye since retiring from the NBA in 2004. The Hall of Famer didn’t appear at last year’s All-Star game despite being honored as a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.
Malone has previously served as a judge in the Dunk Contest in 2008 in New Orleans.
Malone spent 18 of his 19 NBA seasons with the Jazz and retired as the league’s second-all-time leading scorer with 36,928 points, then trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. LeBron James has since passed both men in total points.
During his illustrious career, Malone was named to 14 All-Star teams, 14 All-NBA teams, four All-Defensive Teams, was a two-time league MVP, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
See more at KSLSports.