Karl Malone vs Bob Pettit
Karl Malone (1985-2003) and Bob Pettit (1954-1964) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 21 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Bob Pettit was the higher-volume scorer (26.4 points per game to 25.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.49× and 2.33× their league average respectively; Karl Malone was the more efficient scorer (57.7% true shooting to 51.1%). Karl Malone holds the edge on accolades — 2 MVPs and the #14 all-time ranking to Bob Pettit's #22.
Career averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 25.0 | Points / game | 26.4 |
| 10.1 | Rebounds / game | 16.2 |
| 3.6 | Assists / game | 3.0 |
| 1.4 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 51.4% | Field goal % | 43.5% |
| 21.1% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 73.3% | Free throw % | 76.2% |
| 57.7% | True shooting % | 51.1% |
| 1,476 | Games played | 792 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Karl Malone | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 2.49× | Points vs era avg | 2.33× |
| 2.43× | Rebounds vs era avg | 2.61× |
| 1.57× | Assists vs era avg | 1.32× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Karl Malone.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bob Pettit's era.
Playoff averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 24.7 | Points / game | 25.5 |
| 10.7 | Rebounds / game | 14.8 |
| 3.2 | Assists / game | 2.7 |
| 1.3 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.7 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.2% | Field goal % | 41.4% |
| 13.7% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 72.7% | Free throw % | 77.9% |
| 193 | Playoff games | 88 |
Accolades
| Karl Malone | Stat | Bob Pettit |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | MVP awards | 2 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 0 | Championships | 1 |
| 12 | All-Star selections | 11 |
| 11 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #14 | All-time GOAT rank | #22 |
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