Cross-era · careers 9 years apart
Karl Malone vs Anthony Davis
Karl Malone (1985-2003) and Anthony Davis (2012-2025) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 9 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Karl Malone was the higher-volume scorer (25.0 points per game to 24.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.49× and 2.37× their league average respectively; Anthony Davis was the more efficient scorer (60.1% true shooting to 57.7%). Karl Malone holds the edge on accolades — 2 MVPs and the #14 all-time ranking to Anthony Davis's #61.
Career averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Anthony Davis |
|---|
| 25.0 |
Points / game |
24.0 |
| 10.1 |
Rebounds / game |
10.7 |
| 3.6 |
Assists / game |
2.6 |
| 1.4 |
Steals / game |
1.3 |
| 0.8 |
Blocks / game |
2.3 |
| 51.4% |
Field goal % |
52.2% |
| 21.1% |
3-point % |
24.6% |
| 73.3% |
Free throw % |
78.8% |
| 57.7% |
True shooting % |
60.1% |
| 1,476 |
Games played |
807 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Karl Malone | Stat | Anthony Davis |
|---|
| 2.49× |
Points vs era avg |
2.37× |
| 2.43× |
Rebounds vs era avg |
2.58× |
| 1.57× |
Assists vs era avg |
1.11× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Karl Malone.
| Karl Malone | Stat | Anthony Davis |
|---|
| — |
Offensive rating |
110.2 |
| — |
Defensive rating |
107.5 |
| — |
Net rating |
2.7 |
| — |
Usage % |
27.5% |
| — |
Assist % |
15.1% |
| — |
Rebound % |
18.7% |
Playoff averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Anthony Davis |
|---|
| 24.7 |
Points / game |
26.1 |
| 10.7 |
Rebounds / game |
11.7 |
| 3.2 |
Assists / game |
2.9 |
| 1.3 |
Steals / game |
1.3 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
2.1 |
| 46.2% |
Field goal % |
54.0% |
| 13.7% |
3-point % |
28.0% |
| 72.7% |
Free throw % |
83.8% |
| 193 |
Playoff games |
60 |
Accolades
| Karl Malone | Stat | Anthony Davis |
|---|
| 2 |
MVP awards |
0 |
| 0 |
Finals MVP |
0 |
| 0 |
Championships |
1 |
| 12 |
All-Star selections |
7 |
| 11 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
4 |
| #14 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#61 |