<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar figures his NBA career scoring record will be broken someday. He doesn't think the Los Angeles Lakers' Karl Malone will be the one to do it. Missing half this season with an injury was a setback for Malone's chances of breaking the mark of 38,387 points, Abdul-Jabbar said in an interview at the NBA Store in New York. "At this time of his life, it's tougher at this end of it than it was at the beginning to overcome injury and come back and be into the flow of the game," said Abdul-Jabbar, who spent his 20-year career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers. "That's going uphill." Malone, 40, has 36,928 points in his career, 1,459 behind the Hall-of-Fame center who won six NBA championships, five with the Lakers. Malone, who has said he might retire after the season, would have to average 18 points a night without missing a game next season to eclipse Abdul-Jabbar. "He's up and down," Abdul-Jabbar said of Malone's scoring. "He has one good game and a number of single-digit games. It's hard to keep the momentum going." </div> Link
Its true, unless he plays 2 more season, which is unlikely. There is no way, in that offense that Karl Malone gets 18 ppg, plus, playing 82 games, when you are 41 years old will be nearly impossible. Hey, second all time is still great.
i say he should just retire after next season, regardless if he breaks the scoring record or not. If he came back another year, it would almost look as if he was desperate to break the record.
i agree with Jabaar. Malone himself said that he does not care much about breaking that mark ever since his mother passed away. Even if he did come back one more year, i don't think he can surpass it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If he came back another year, it would almost look as if he was desperate to break the record.</div> I disagree vehemently. The man joined the Lakers to win a Championship. Granted that he's well on his way and therefore COULD retire afterwards. However, if the fire's not gone, then it's simply not gone. I'd have no problem with the man returning next season somewhere. His career is certainly not over, unless he wants it to be. I am not even remotely a fan of Karl Malone and would hate to see him eclipse this mark, but would have no problem if he did because it wouldn't have been for the sole purpose of staying to break it, but rather because the man wanted to continue playing. IMO, if Malone doesn't leave on his own terms, then the record will always have an asterisk next to, like the all time rushing record in football does. Everyone knows Barry Sanders would have broke it and then some, had he not retired. To me, that would be a bigger injustice to the record than Malone being the record holder.
He needs to play 2 more seasons, because he's going to score atleast 750 points in both of those seasons, which would surpass Jabbar's record, but I doubt he will play 2 more seasons.
I dont think this record means anything to Malone now that his mother has died. I think that he will get the Championship this year, re-evalute his situation, and possibly retire to spend more time with family.
I don't think he could break it either. I don't think he will play 2 more years and definately don't expect him to avg 18 points and play the entire season. 2nd in total points is a great accomplishment.
Yea and adding a ring to his stats would def. better his career. I think it would automatically put him in the top 10 of all time.
I don't want him to break the scoring records. If he does break it, it's because he played a loooooooong time and didn't really "dominate" scoring wise.
1. An all-time scoring record requires that you play a "loooooooong time" 2. Malone has a higher career average than Abdul-Jabbar
I don't think Malone is worried about it anymore. I think he's more worried about getting the ring that has evaded him his entire career. I think, due to the fact that his career has been spectacular in pretty much any facet of it, that, a ring would, without a shadow of a doubt, make his career more complete than the scoring title.
agree, he doesnt raelly care bout the record anymore, he should and is focusing much more on the ring. Im glad he does that
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ANiMuS:</div><div class="quote_post">1. An all-time scoring record requires that you play a "loooooooong time"</div> What I meant wat: 1. Malone would probably need to play more years than usual to get that scoring title. He didn't dominate the league in scoring like MJ did so if he gets it, it's because he played more games. 2. If in case he wants that award, he'll play a few more seasons with it as the primary purpose.
I don't want to come across as a Malone-lover, because I look upon him like a redneck with some anti-albino disease, but "Malone would probably need to play more years than usual to get that scoring title. He didn't dominate the league in scoring like MJ did so if he gets it, it's because he played more games" is possibly the most logically-flawed argument I've ever heard.
Not to be picky, but: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">didn't really "dominate" scoring wise.</div> Maybe not, but Malone does have an MVP award if memory serves me correctly. I think that Malone's scoring numbers aren't looked upon in the same way as those that were scored by players like Jordan, etc. because of this: "Stockton to Malone"
Yeah I know. But when you think of the greatest scorer of all time, people are thinking of 30+ ppg seasons. If I remember correctly, Malone only had one 30+ ppg season. He averages 25ppg for his career. While Michael had several 30+ ppg seasons. He even averages 30+ for his career. Kareem scored 38,387 points in 1,560 games. Malone score 36,928 points in 1,476 games. MJ scored 32,292 points in 1,072 games. I know that the number of games played to reach that top scorer position isn't taken into consideration. But there would be some questions to it. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't want to come across as a Malone-lover, because I look upon him like a redneck with some anti-albino disease, but "Malone would probably need to play more years than usual to get that scoring title. He didn't dominate the league in scoring like MJ did so if he gets it, it's because he played more games" is possibly the most logically-flawed argument I've ever heard.</div> Animus, I'm not saying that we should all give the scoring title to MJ since he dominated the league in scoring for several reasons. I'm just saying that if Malone did get the scoring title, it's because he played longer than Jordan. We all know that it wouldn't even be close if they both played the same number of games.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't want him to break the scoring records. If he does break it, it's because he played a loooooooong time and didn't really "dominate" scoring wise.</div> The same thing could be said about Hank Aaron...longevity itself is a great achievement, and the scoring title will be a testament to that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">The same thing could be said about Hank Aaron...longevity itself is a great achievement, and the scoring title will be a testament to that.</div> Exactly. The best points I've seen and agree with, are it doesn't matter how long he's been playing or if he continues to play to break the record. If Malone does in fact break the record, he deserves all the credit in the world for doing it. There shouldn't be an asterik next to it, or any warranted criticism saying he kept playing JUST to break the record. Malone is still a very effective player and if he played on must other teams in the league he'd still be a premiere scorer. I'm not a Malone fan either, but I won't hold anything against him if he breaks the record.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ANiMuS:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't want to come across as a Malone-lover, because I look upon him like a redneck with some anti-albino disease, but "Malone would probably need to play more years than usual to get that scoring title. He didn't dominate the league in scoring like MJ did so if he gets it, it's because he played more games" is possibly the most logically-flawed argument I've ever heard.</div> Preach. "Karl Malone put money in shoe." ~Jimmey Kimmel. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Originally Posted by notMuchgameThe same thing could be said about Hank Aaron...longevity itself is a great achievement, and the scoring title will be a testament to that.</div> Iron men will always be respected for playing all those consecutive games. Especially since it's such a rear thing to see.
