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Ranked by greatness: The 1992 Dream Team

By Matthew Miranda

1992: Michael Jordan (L), Magic Johnson (M) and Clyde Drexler (R) of Team USA, the Dream Team, sit on the bench during the men's basketball competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)
1992: Michael Jordan (L), Magic Johnson (M) and Clyde Drexler (R) of Team USA, the Dream Team, sit on the bench during the men's basketball competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Icon Sportswire) /
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5. Karl Malone (31 pts, 12 rebs, 4.7 asts, 1.8 stls, 1.5 blks)

Karl Malone is inextricably tied to John Stockton, and not just because of how well they played together, but how much they played together. For the first 18 of his 19 years in the NBA, The Mailman never missed more than two games. In a season. Two! Never! That longevity helped him retire as the game’s second-leading scorer all-time. If you reached the pros and your name isn’t Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Malone scored more points than you. More than Jerry West, the league’s logo. More than Wilt Chamberlain. More than Michael Jordan. More.

But he’s not a compiler; the years he enjoyed were available to him because he was great as he was for as long as he was. He won two MVPs (and finished in the MVP top-10 14 times!) because he did so much so well. He averaged 10+ rebounds 10 times, made the All-Defense team four times, twice finished top-10 in steals, eight times led the league in free throw attempts, and in addition to being second all-time in scoring is also second in defensive rebounds and minutes played. He was always out there, and he was always making plays while he was out there.

As great as Malone was, he doesn’t quite make the elite cut among Dream Teamers. But if Michael Jordan’s parents had a headache that one magical night and he never existed, Malone would have won a half-dozen scoring titles and multiple titles. Add that to “second-leading scorer all-time” and suddenly the Mailman’s lethal elbows are making room for him at the front of the line.

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