Contemporaries · overlapped 8 seasons
Karl Malone vs Kobe Bryant
Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 8 seasons. On the floor, Karl Malone was the more efficient scorer (57.7% true shooting to 54.9%); Kobe Bryant created more for others (4.7 assists per game to 3.6); Karl Malone controlled the glass (10.1 rebounds per game to 5.2). Kobe Bryant holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 5 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #6 all-time ranking to Karl Malone's #14.
Career averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| 25.0 |
Points / game |
25.0 |
| 10.1 |
Rebounds / game |
5.2 |
| 3.6 |
Assists / game |
4.7 |
| 1.4 |
Steals / game |
1.4 |
| 0.8 |
Blocks / game |
0.5 |
| 51.4% |
Field goal % |
44.5% |
| 21.1% |
3-point % |
32.7% |
| 73.3% |
Free throw % |
83.5% |
| 57.7% |
True shooting % |
54.9% |
| 1,476 |
Games played |
1,346 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Karl Malone.
| Karl Malone | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| — |
Offensive rating |
100.8 |
| — |
Defensive rating |
114.6 |
| — |
Net rating |
-13.8 |
| — |
Usage % |
0.3% |
| — |
Assist % |
0.2% |
| — |
Rebound % |
0.1% |
Playoff averages
| Karl Malone | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| 24.7 |
Points / game |
25.6 |
| 10.7 |
Rebounds / game |
5.1 |
| 3.2 |
Assists / game |
4.7 |
| 1.3 |
Steals / game |
1.4 |
| 0.7 |
Blocks / game |
0.7 |
| 46.2% |
Field goal % |
44.4% |
| 13.7% |
3-point % |
32.6% |
| 72.7% |
Free throw % |
81.1% |
| 193 |
Playoff games |
220 |
Accolades
| Karl Malone | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| 2 |
MVP awards |
1 |
| 0 |
Finals MVP |
2 |
| 0 |
Championships |
5 |
| 12 |
All-Star selections |
15 |
| 11 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
11 |
| #14 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#6 |