Karl Malone, perhaps the biggest name to be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night, took the podium, and it was a good thing he had a handkerchief at the ready.
Karl Malone’s Basketball Hall Of Fame Induction Speech
Retired great Willis Reed escorted Malone to the stage. To a few scattered hoots and hollers, Malone became teary-eyed even before finishing his first sentence.
He thanked his wife and family, then thanked the NBA for “giving this snotty-nosed kid” a chance to play. An avid hunter, he used the analogy that while hunting, all the elements need to be in the right place, and that the same applied to the road that led him to the Hall of Fame.
Malone brought up his home state of Louisiana many times throughout the speech, specifically acknowledging Reed, a fellow Louisiana native.
He acknowledged the passing of his mother exactly seven years ago. “I’m here because of her,” he said while fighting back tears.
He closed the speech by saying that his story was not about him, but about the people who surrounded him throughout his life and career.
From beginning to end, the power forward delivered an emotional, genuine speech.
Conventional speech ranking (1-10): 5
Did he break down at any point? Yes, at every point.
Speech length: ~7 minutes total
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