Mailman puts official stamp on retirement decision

SALT LAKE CITY – Karl Malone officially announced his retirement Sunday, saying “you will not see me play again. That is a promise.”

After a season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Malone returned to the arena he called home for 18 of his 19 NBA seasons to make the announcement expected since Friday.

“Even though I left for a year, I grew here as a Jazz man,” Malone said. “If I’m fortunate enough to go into the Hall of Fame, I will go as a Jazz man.”

The 41-year-old, nicknamed the Mailman, finishes as the second all-time leading scorer in NBA history with 36,928 points, just 1,459 behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record.

Malone, the league’s MVP in 1997 and ‘99, teamed with guard John Stockton for 18 seasons with Utah to form one of the NBA’s greatest duos, leading the Jazz to the finals twice but losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls each time.

Malone left the Jazz for a shot at a championship with the Lakers, though they lost in five games to the Detroit Pistons in last season’s NBA Finals.

Malone missed 39 games during the last regular season after injuring his right knee, and missed Game 5 of the championship series.

Malone opted out of his $1.65 million contract following last season, making him a free agent. He considered playing for the San Antonio Spurs before opting for retirement.