The 88 season was just his first of 11 straight seasons where he averaged at least 25 points per game. One of those years was the 1990 season. Where he averaged 31 points and 11.1 rebounds on 56.2% shooting. Something that makes this season quite remarkable. Is that in the entirety of the 1990s this was the only time where someone. Other than Michael Jordan averaged over 30 points a game. During that season Malone had a career high night against the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored 61 points on21 of 26 from the field. Throughout the late 80s and into the 90s, the theme for the Malone and Stockton, Jazz would be winning a lot of games getting into the playoffs, putting up a fight in getting eliminated after making it as deep as the conference finals, they always seemed as if they were just a piece or two short from getting over the hump. That was until the 1997 season. That was Malone's first season as the league MVP behind averages of 27.4 points. 9.9 rebounds. 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals on 55% shooting. That production led them to finally break through as they made it to the NBA finals where they were meeting Jordan Chicago Bulls.
He played well throughout the playoffs and his number's mostly mirrored his regular season output, but Jordan's Bulls still ultimately won in six games. The following year was more of the same nearly identical regular season numbers this time he was the MVP runner up and his Jazz made it to the finals, but they were eliminated once again in six games for the Chicago Bulls.
Although this would be Malone's last trip to the NBA finals with the Jazz, he was still far from done making history. In the lockout shortened at 98-99 season. Malone had another MVP campaign with averages of 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals on 49.2% shooting, these numbers look a little bit lower than his usual MVP caliber standards. But it's important to keep in mind that the pace of play was very slow this season and if you exclude the 1950s, the 1999 season is a league wide the lowest scoring year of all time. When Malone won his second MVP he was just a couple months short of his 36 birthday which makes him the oldest MVP winner of all time. In a nutshell that's what name Malone so good it's a testament to his conditioning, longevity, strength and athleticism, but it gets even more impressive. For entire seasons later in the 2002-2003 season. Malone is 39 years old, he plays an 81 out of 82 games and he averages 20.6 points, 7.8 rebounds.4.7 assists and 1.7 steals on 46% shooting. This was his 18th year in the league as a 40 year old who was leading his team to the playoffs. This is arguably the greatest season anyone has ever played at that age and at that stage of their career.
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