Karl Malone (left) and John Stockton both sit on the First Team All-NBA honors list for the Jazz.
Making an All-NBA Team is an incredible individual accomplishment, especially when considering only five players are awarded with that honor each year. This list puts a spotlight on the four players who earned First Team selections throughout Utah and New Orleans’ Jazz 51 combined seasons in the NBA.
Let’s take a deeper look at their accomplishments from their time with the franchise.
Karl Malone – 11 times (1989-1999)
An all-time great player in the NBA, Malone played 18 of his 19 seasons in the league with the Utah Jazz. “The Mailman” earned a Hall of Fame induction in 2010 after an incredible career, collecting numerous accolades along the way. Malone was a two-time MVP, made 14 All Star and All-NBA teams (11 firsts, two second, one third), four All-Defensive selections, and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team during the 2021-22 season.
Malone was an ironman in his playing days, as he suited up for all 82 games on ten different occasions and appeared in 80-plus contests in 17 of 19 professional campaigns. The two he didn’t? A lockout-shortened season in 1998-99 and his final year in the Association in 2003-04, which he spent with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring at age 40.
Starting in 1989, when he averaged 29.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals, Malone garnered 11 straight All-NBA First Team honors that culminated in his second league MVP award in 1999. He led the league in free throws made and attempted for five consecutive seasons from 1989 to 1993 and paced the league in made free throws from 1997 to 1999. In 1,434 career outings with the Jazz, Malone averaged 25.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 37.3 minutes a night.
John Stockton – 2 times (1994, 1995)
Another NBA legend on this list, Stockton played all 19 of his professional seasons with the Utah Jazz from 1985 to 2003. Stock was a teammate of Karl Malone’s in all but one campaign (1984-85), as the two legends helped the Jazz make the postseason every year during their tenures together. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, made 11 All-NBA teams, five All-Defensive teams and made ten All-Star appearances, and was a nine-time assists champ (1988-1996) and two-time steals champ.
The Gonzaga product and Spokane, Washington native played in all 82 games in 16 of his 19 seasons in the Association. He dished out more than 10.5 apg ten times while tallying more than 13.6 assists in five consecutive years (‘88-’92). In 1,504 career outings with Utah, Stockton recorded averages of 13.1 points, 10.5 assists and 2.2 steals in 31.8 minutes per game.
Pete Maravich – 2 times (1976, 1977)
A teammate of Truck Robinson during his short time in with the New Orleans Jazz, Pete Maravich played with the Jazz from 1975 to 1980, earning back-to-back selections to the All-NBA First Team in 1976 and 1977. His best statistical campaign in ‘77 saw Maravich lead the league in points (career-high 31.1 ppg), minutes (41.7), field goals made (12.1) and attempted (28.0), and free throws made (6.9) and attempted (8.2).
Pistol Pete was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1987 after a 10-year career, in which he made four All-NBA teams (two firsts, two second), five All-Star squads, and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Across 330 games in five and a half years with the Jazz, Maravich averaged 25.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals.
Truck Robinson – 1 time (1978)
Lenard “Truck” Robinson made his lone All-NBA First Team with the New Orleans Jazz in 1977-78 after posting 22.7 points, 15.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in a league-leading 44.4 minutes per game. The points and rebounds were career-best marks for Robinson, who led the NBA in defensive boards (12.1) and total rebounds that season. Len averaged 23.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 125 appearances for the Jazz.
