The 1996-97 NBA season was a landmark year for Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone. After years of being a mid-tier squad, the power forward had finally guided his team to the top of the standings. The Jazz finished with a 64-18 record, good for first in the competitive West. For all his efforts, Malone was crowned league MVP.
The “Mailman” averaged 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 27.4 minutes. He received 63 first-place votes and won 986 total points to claim his first MVP trophy. He eclipsed Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan, who got 957 of his own.
Voter fatigue?
The small margin prompted Bulls head coach Phil Jackson to air his thoughts on Karl’s win and, more importantly, Mike’s loss. He reiterated how Chicago had a better regular-season record than Utah. Critically, they locked in those 69 wins with a dilapidated roster and Jackson hypothesized that Malone only won because of voter fatigue for Jordan.
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“We won 69 games this year mostly on the energy of Michael and Scottie (Pippen),” Jackson said via the Chicago Tribune.
“We had mishaps with Dennis (Rodman) and Luc Longley, so we were not together as a unit the whole year. Karl played with that unit the whole season, and they had no injuries. He did his job, there’s no doubt about it, but for the excess weight that was put on our team and still to win 69 games, there’s no earthly explanation except that Michael won it so many times and this may be Malone’s opportunity,” the multi-Championship coach added.
Interestingly, Phil suggested the NBA give out separate MVP awards for the Western and Eastern Conferences. That way, players could share the trophy, and the league would get extended marketing.
Karl seems to have been aware of these whispers surrounding his victory. After receiving the coveted hardware, No. 32 joked: “I thank Michael for letting me borrow it for one year.”
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Satisfied?
Meanwhile, “His Airness” was at peace with losing out to his Dream Team teammate, showing no envy toward Karl. Instead, MJ emphasized how he had maintained his elite status throughout the years and expressed gratitude that many still considered him among the best in the league.
“Because of the opinion of others, they choose to give it to a guy that’s been in the league as long and consistent as I was,” Jordan said.
“He’s also been on the team that was equally as successful this year. I can’t have any jealousy or animosity towards Karl even though I may had a good season, and certainly, from a stats standpoint it wasn’t my best season. As long as I am consistently thought of an MVP, I’m happy with that,” the Bulls icon added.
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Jordan’s attitude would change over the years. When he was playing, he sounded more like a diplomat who was careful not to ruffle too much feathers. In the sports documentary “The Last Dance,” the “Black Cat” admitted that Malone winning MVP over him was his primary motivating factor in their 1997 NBA Finals duel.
“I’m not saying he wasn’t deserving of it. All I’m saying is that that fueled the fire in me. I said, ‘Okay. You think he’s MVP. Okay, fine. No problem,” the five-time MVP added.
True enough, Mike put up a stellar 1997 NBA Finals, including a game-winning shot in Game 1, an epic Flu Game in Game 5, and a series-clinching assist in Game 6. “The Mailman” might have won the individual award, but the ultimate prize, the Larry O’Brien trophy, belonged to “Black Jesus.”