Karl Malone vs Jerry West
Karl Malone (1985-2003) and Jerry West (1960-1973) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 12 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Jerry West was the higher-volume scorer (27.0 points per game to 25.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.49× and 2.34× their league average respectively; Karl Malone was the more efficient scorer (57.7% true shooting to 55.0%). Karl Malone holds the edge on accolades — 2 MVPs and the #14 all-time ranking to Jerry West's #23.
Career averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 25.0 | Points / game | 27.0 |
| 10.1 | Rebounds / game | 5.8 |
| 3.6 | Assists / game | 6.7 |
| 1.4 | Steals / game | 0.1 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 51.4% | Field goal % | 47.4% |
| 21.1% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 73.3% | Free throw % | 81.4% |
| 57.7% | True shooting % | 55.0% |
| 1,476 | Games played | 932 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Karl Malone | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 2.49× | Points vs era avg | 2.34× |
| 2.43× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.99× |
| 1.57× | Assists vs era avg | 2.97× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Karl Malone.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Jerry West's era.
Playoff averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 24.7 | Points / game | 29.1 |
| 10.7 | Rebounds / game | 5.6 |
| 3.2 | Assists / game | 6.3 |
| 1.3 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.7 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.2% | Field goal % | 46.6% |
| 13.7% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 72.7% | Free throw % | 79.1% |
| 193 | Playoff games | 153 |
Accolades
| Karl Malone | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 0 | Championships | 1 |
| 12 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 11 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #14 | All-time GOAT rank | #23 |
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