Mailman makes retirement official

Malone ends his career second on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 36,928 points, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387. A 14-time All-Star and the league’s MVP for the 1996-97 and 1998-99 campaigns, Malone averaged 25 points and 10.1 rebounds over 1,476 games.

However, he posted career-lows of 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Malone underwent surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee over the summer of 2003 that limited him to just 42 games during his one turbulent season in Los Angeles. He declined a $1.65 million contract option shortly after the Lakers lost in five games to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals.

The 41-year-old Malone signed with the Lakers for far below market value in an attempt to win the NBA title that had eluded him during his illustrious career.

That dream ended in a nightmare for Malone, whose injury forced him to the sidelines for the majority of the Finals versus Detroit. He played sparingly in Games 3 and 4 and sat out the series-clinching contest.

Malone, who was being courted by the San Antonio Spurs, was also selected as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players in 1996.

After spending 18 years with Utah and earning $19 million in his final season with the Jazz, Malone signed with Los Angeles for $1.5 million.