Only eight players in NBA history have ever won three MVP awards but Malone is rarely revered or discussed in the same way as Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. Malone remains the all-time leader in offensive rebounds for his career, a season and a game. And he still ranks fifth all-time with 16,212 rebounds and 10th in scoring with 27,409 points. His contributions to the game will always be recognized by the record book, if not future generations of fans. “He probably doesn’t get mentioned as much as he should, but most of the people that know, know. He’s one of those guys,” said Cheeks, who wasn’t bothered by the delayed appreciation. “They do it in the time that they felt deemed necessary. But anytime is the right time. He’ll be up there with the rest of us and it will be a welcome sight.”
