Who is the Utah Jazz’s best player? KSL makes a claim for their pick.
When you talk about the best Utah Jazz player of all time, really only three cames come up; Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Pete Maravich. The reason for all that is simple; Malone was the best inside scorer and rebounder in Jazz history, while Stockton was the best passer and perimeter defender in the history of the team and Maravich was the best shooter the Jazz ever had.
And all three of these men can make equal claims to such spots against the broader NBA landscape. All three men could easily take claim to be the best the team ever had, and that’s probably why KSL ranked all three men in the Top 3 of their Top 50 list.
The outlet had all three men ranked three through one, showing a lot of love to past generations, but the team also had a host of newer, and more modern players across the Top 10. Starting with Andrei Kirilenko at No. 10 and, not so shocking to many a Jazz fan, Malone at No. 1
You can see the Top 10 below, but got on KSL’s website for the entire Top 50 list;
"10. Andrei Kirilenko9. Carlos Boozer8. Mark Eaton7. Deron Williams6. Rudy Gobert5. Donovan Mitchell4. Adrian Dantley3. Pete Maravich2. John Stockton1. Karl Malone"
Honestly, seeing Mark Eaton, Adrian Dantley, Maravich, Stockton, and Malone in the Top 10, is not surprising, even if you don’t agree with where some of the names fell. Seeing Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell also in the Top 10 is rather surprising.
Not that they don’t deserve it. It’s just wild seeing more modern names etching their position in the upper echelon of the team’s history. Especially since Kirilenko bridged the gap from Malone and Stockton to Williams and Boozer, who then bridged it to Gordon Hayward (#14), who then bridged it to Gobert and Mitchell.
It’s wild seeing such a line that goes from era to era being represented.
And if you don’t agree with Malone being No.1, you’re not the only one as Clutch Points listed Stockton as their No. 1 player in franchise history.