Sports

Karl Malone 'Disappointed' Mavs Didn't Draft Him

February 12, 2015 / 10:33 AM CST / CBS Texas

DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) -- The Dallas Mavericks selected three players in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft, most notably taking Detlef Schrempf with the No. 8 overall pick.

If Karl Malone had his way, things would have been much, much different -- for him and the franchise.

The Hall of Fame forward, who was drafted by and played 18 full seasons with the Utah Jazz, made an admission to Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan Thursday.

"I must admit something. I really and truly was so disappointed that the Mavericks didn't draft me," said Malone.

The Mailman says the Mavs visited with the Louisiana Tech star seven or eight times leading up to the draft.

Dallas passed at No. 8. Malone was drafted by the Jazz with the 13th pick.

"I was just convinced that they were going to draft me," said Malone. "I just always grew up wanting to play with the Mavericks if I had the opportunity to play at the next level. They didn't, so it hurt my feelings for about 10 years. But it worked out unbelievable for me in Utah."

Malone primarily wanted to play closer to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. Dallas is just a short four hour drive away.

Not only did the Mavs whiff on the draft selection -- they subjected themselves to a more focused, motivated Karl Malone in subsequent years.

"I must admit that for my first 10 years playing against the Mavericks, I wanted to beat them really bad. I got to say that and get it off my chest."

Malone went on to become a two-time MVP, 14-time All Star, and the second leading scorer in NBA history.

Schrempf played three full seasons in Dallas, starting 22 games, before being traded to Indiana. In all, he played 16 seasons and was selected to three All Star games.