Karl Malone: Heading to the Finals (1998 WCF Game 4, 32 points)

[@walterlv01]

This was the game where after doing the 1-2-3-LAKERS! cheer in the locker room before taking the court, Nick Van Exel yelled out "48 minutes to Cancun, baby!" one of the many reasons that this was his final game as a Laker.

[@johnrambo3831]

Nah he said it in the final minutes of the game. During the time out. It was said in jest.

[@JPSimen]

Not in jest when it is true. He was fired for it.

[@hisdness1]

This was a great moment in nba history! Utah beating LA! One of my favorite memories.

[@jlnchun]

SHAQ : We could beat 90's MJ & Chicago Bulls !! Stockton & Malone : Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[@ma.lykajoycuesta1998]

Kobe was still very young here(19 yr old) as a reserve here sophomore season avg 15.4 ppg.lol

[@jlnchun]

@@ma.lykajoycuesta1998 Malone was so old. But he got MVP. IT'S just lame excuse.

[@ma.lykajoycuesta1998]

@@jlnchun Malone was old? Maybe but he still 35 and putting up MVP numbers, for the Jazz, while Stockton was being stockton to Malone avg 10+ apg . While on the other hand the Lakers got a prime Shaq and a bunch of rookies and inconsistent Van Exel and Jones. Lol ima tell you when Kobe elevate his game in 2000 , thats when the Lakers became championship team. Kobe in 98 is far far away of allstar status yet, thats not lame excuses that what it is, Lakers only have Shaq in 98' and still went to WCF. Lucky for the Jazz because Kobe was so young back then and coach Del Harris did not use kobe much

[@jlnchun]

@@ma.lykajoycuesta1998 so you think if kobe's on his prime, would beat Jazz? Is it fair? I dont know what you trying to say. I only saying with historical truth and results. Your useless opinion is just part of imagine. Why u brought young Kobe anyway?

[@ma.lykajoycuesta1998]

@@jlnchun im just stating facts that kobe was so very young back then vs Jazz in 98' and Del Harris didnt use him much bcoz they have Eddie Jones at that time. You're statement was useless bcoz Shaq said that they could beat the 90's Bulls when they were the 00s Lakers, go search for that . And you replied that Shaq was beaten by the Jazz in 97 and 98 which is true but is irrelevant why Shaq said they could beat the 90s Bulls. Shaq is implying to his 00s Lakers Squad with afro kobe.

[@CoreyT127]

Phil Jackson was still afraid of this jazz team in 2000 and said he was glad the Lakers played the suns in the 2nd round because the jazz had such a high i.q. even at 38-39 Stockton an Malone could beat the super low B ball i.q. Lakers!

[@iBmEVanquisher]

Lol that's funny because I never thought about it like that😂. Also Malone and Stockton weren't afraid to use dirty tactics to frustrate Shaq and young Kobe

[@CoreyT127]

@@iBmEVanquisher the blazers were just a bad match up for the jazz in 99 an 00 but that team took the Lakers 7 games and almost won so i totally can see the jazz beating the Lakers in 2000!

[@coreyrowe2598]

@@CoreyT127 I feel like the 1999 lockout season was the last real chance for the jazz to break thru and win a championship. They were still good in 2000 but the rest of the west contenders began to pass them up by this point. The Blazers were probably the only team in 2000 that could've beaten the Lakers in a best of 7 series.

[@CoreyT127]

@@coreyrowe2598 Spurs could of if Duncan didn't miss the playoffs with injury !

[@ManniLive]

Super low IQ from the Lakers ? Are you stupid or what?

[@jordzbuenafe6239]

Lebron worshippers: MJ beat weak teams in the finals Utah Jazz in 98' beat a team with 4 allstars in a sweep.

[@jahleelx9270]

He didn't beat weak teams but every team lebron faced aside from the miami heat was better than any team mj faced. And not only that he didn't have to face a team like the warriors with kd.

[@jordzbuenafe6239]

@@jahleelx9270 how about the eastern teams?

[@jordzbuenafe6239]

@@jahleelx9270 Kawhi did faced the warriors with KD, they beat them

[@jahleelx9270]

@@jordzbuenafe6239 no he didn't lmao. Stop lying. Kd and klay got injured.

[@jahleelx9270]

@@jordzbuenafe6239 what about them? The only team mj beat that was significantly better than most teams that lebron beat in the East was the magic. But other than that it's not like mj was going up against juggernauts in the east in the 90s. Now the 80s is a different story.

[@erikhopkins9488]

Shaq and Kobe SWEPT again!!??!!

[@ronaszn9728]

Lakers were ass until kobe stepped up. Shaq was swept 5 times in the 90s

[@deshawndodd7883]

@@ronaszn9728 No When Phil Jackson Came U Dummy

[@stevyluv743]

@@deshawndodd7883 True the reason he won 6 times with the Goat Jordan

[@legoatjames8540]

Shaq played great in that series, 32 ppg at 56% FG, his teammates sucked though, Kobe, Fisher, Horry, Fox all shot below 40% FG

[@stevyluv743]

@@legoatjames8540 I agree just wish thay played great so it would a been a fun series to watch

[@wuliwei6939]

I still wish they could play Indiana in the Finals. Malone and Stockton could have won their rings

[@a-ddaigrepont3375]

he should be in jail

[@stevyluv743]

Your e right But MJ & his team was UnstoppaBull

[@a-ddaigrepont3375]

@@stevyluv743 lol

[@wgsuperstar7730]

@@a-ddaigrepont3375 come on, let Kobe rest in peace

[@rondavis19]

If you think they were gonna beat the Pacers you need to see a psychiatrist...

[@sportcriticschannel2911]

Its really Phil the zen master Jackson makes the big difference to the lakers team to b a championship team

[@PulledFLFGBANDFLFSV]

Imagine if lakers actually made it in the finals in 1998 i would love to see mj vs kobe duel in the finals

[@rojeliocirilo3493]

It would’ve been like a passing of the torch kinda

[@mmafan2223]

@@rojeliocirilo3493 Kobe averaged a whopping 10 points on 37% shooting in 4 games against the Jazz. Jazz swept the Lakers. How the hell would that be a passing of the torch from MJ to Kobe? MJ would have made Kobe cry. Kobe was too inexperienced at this point, only 19 years old.

[@randomyoutuber7898]

​@@mmafan2223 facts 🔥

[@chopnteddy]

With that sweep, they got tons of rest. Guess that wasn't good for them....

[@Carbun4732]

They did win game 1 against the Bulls in the finals

[@Bull1908]

Jazz were all business they barely acted like they didn't do anything great. Yes it wasn't as exciting as a buzzer beater to go to next round but they were all business and wearing blinders. Even Malone in winning was like he just loss. I felt bad for all those Jazz players between 96-99 they had 4 year window to win and were in 4 straight conference finals and couldn't get 1 title.

[@chuthulu9904]

best 4 of the whole history

[@ubeman401]

Shaq too big to get swept----but it happened more than a few times early in his career.Malone owned him big time in this series.Karl displayed an array of offensive repertoire and O'Neal couldn't do anything about it.

[@Maal7432]

Can’t put that on Shaq. He was balling this series. LA as a whole had a low IQ.

[@dr.kennethspeers8014]

As a jazz fan, I got to watch Kobe absolutely destroy the jazz for the next two decades. What a joy.

[@chopnteddy]

Along with T Mac @ Huston..

[@brentw0681]

@@chopnteddy jazz beat tmac twice in the playoffs

[@brentw0681]

kobe and the refs

[@ubeman401]

Fake Jazz fan.

[@dr.kennethspeers8014]

@@ubeman401 it's sarcasm and Kobe consistently destroyed the 2nd best Jazz team we ever had: D-Will, Booz, Brewer, Matthews, Okur etc.

[@at1212b]

LeBron would have cried from a little context during this era.

[@tonochiehardy9465]

In 98 Phil Jackson was still coaching the Bulls and eventually the rest is History but the Lakers had Shaq and Kobe then they made the all-star team it was 4 Lakers who made it that year

[@J.J.Barrientes]

This is what I don’t understand though people love to criticize lebron but yet seem to forget that Kobe had his moments as well getting swept in his prime (98’, 99’,2011) blowing a 3-1 lead in 06 an much more

[@ronaszn9728]

All those failures and still ended up with 5 rings. Lebron in his 17th year and still only has 3 lmaooo

[@ma.lykajoycuesta1998]

in his prime? lol Kobe was 19 here in 1998 playoffs . Wtf you talking about

[@TheCocoband]

Ma. Lyka Joy Cuesta he has a shaq

[@Ali-on8dc]

@AnEn I agree lol the if the late 90s jazz played in the early 2000s they would’ve been the ones that three peated not the lakers.

[@Ali-on8dc]

@Jarrin Webster you’re a clown 🤡 lmao 😂

[@ubeman401]

For a black guy, Karl looks pretty good plus the great body. No wonder he was once called 'The Black Adonis'.He also looks good in a cowboy hat and suit in one cameo he did back in the day.

[@theoneandonlykyle9800]

If the Lakers would have went to the finals that year bull's would have murdered them.

[@suppaman12]

Utah must’ve felt like kings here, thinking this is it. We are beating Jordan and the bulls this year lol

[@hughjass40]

it's so frustrating watching old school lakes play with no heart :/

[@FuShengAlex]

This is the most frustrating series I ever watched. I thought LA would come for blood after the 97 series loss. Nick Kobe and Eddie shot terrible and Shaq wasn't defending a lick They were so toothless this series!!

[@rattlehead54321]

Swept a Laker team that in my opinion was better than the championship teams in the 2000s. Proof that Shaq and them would not have beaten the Bulls.

[@mattbybee5354]

Exactly

[@TheCocoband]

The problem with the Jazz were Karl Malone never make a clutch shot

[@TheCocoband]

Jarrin Webster did you watch 2003 playoffs?

[@mattbybee5354]

@@TheCocoband that is beyond ignorant

[@rattlehead54321]

@@TheCocoband yep, close game 5 but got there ass kicked in game 6 that ended the dynasty.

[@meexamillion2386]

Shaq saying his squad would beat the bulls and the warriors is laughaBULL...he couldn't beat malone n stocton

[@epicvid3195]

4-0 Sweep? JAZZ is better than LAKERS. Period.

[@---wc2zp]

The Jazz didn't celebrate that much like they do the previous WCF, coz they know they will have to face MJ and the Bulls again...lol

[@ubeman401]

Because they won the previous one on Stockton's dramatic three--- This is a dominating sweep.The feeling definitely not the same obviously.

[@jc2333]

What’s Malone saying at the free throw line ?

[@aaronhuffman6417]

Any old mule can do it in the morning. Takes a thoroughbred to do it in the evening

[@coltruiz7126]

Iceforsalehere

[@dallaswood4117]

He used to have a Hardee’s endorsement so I used to always joke he was saying Hardee’s Hardee’s Hardee’s as a lifelong jazz fan lol

[@JPSimen]

He was sayin: Hope that I don't go to jail for underaged poon.

[@Carbun4732]

He was counting so that he would shoot at the last second

[@salvell]

Mailman use to bully Shaq

[@dreadheadbm1990]

This is the series that led to del Harris losing his coaching job. Let's be honest, This lakers team was too talented to get swept. They had Shaq, Kobe, Eddie Jones, Nick the quick, With the team they had, They should've gotten to the finals.

[@patek9789]

nope shaq was the reason they failed he was a liability

[@tomharmon9663]

Karl Malone was a problem.

[@johnny6610]

Stockton and Hornacek beating Nick Van Exel and Kobe 😂😂😂

[@ChewyChicken589]

Too bad Nike wasn't going to let their shoe mascot lose

[@kurokotv8813]

This why im not choosing kobe over mj

[@PulledFLFGBANDFLFSV]

Chill, this kobe was a rookie

[@dr.kennethspeers8014]

MJ was in his prime around this time, and Kobe was first or second year. Kobe would go on to absolutely destroy every decent Jazz team for the rest of his career, with and without Shaq.

[@dr.kennethspeers8014]

@Aaron9 cool dude. Jordan won 3 straight ending in ‘98. Hadn’t lost a step. Kobe was a second year player out of high school. Jordan>Kobe, but you can’t make a comparison based on this series alone. Which is what the original comment says.

[@dr.kennethspeers8014]

@Aaron9 did I say “of this caliber”? He was dominant against the jazz through the entire 2000’s. Obliterated the D Will teams. It’s not fair to say he wouldn’t have done the same to Stockton and Malone if the timelines matched up.

[@kurokotv8813]

Lakers : jones, kobe , van exel, shaq,campbell then swept by nerds utah haha

[@JPSimen]

Van Exel was a liability. Totally sucked.

[@kyfresh2death]

Shaq we could beat the 90s bulls haha how shaq. If you can't beat Utah keep dreaming man lol.

[@FuShengAlex]

Uhhh cool story except for the fact that Shaq did beat the 90s Bulls.

[@jonathanwashington9199]

@@FuShengAlex So Shaq Wasn't Lying On That Front

[@FuShengAlex]

@@jonathanwashington9199 Jordan worshippers always try to brush that under the carpet

[@tj5180]

@@FuShengAlex what happened the year after in 1996. Shaq got swept lop

[@FuShengAlex]

@TJ hey I'm not the one here claiming that Shaq couldn't win a series vs the 90s Chicago Bulls.

[@hugflor23]

All that just to lose to the Bulls again…😂

[@Amjbmcg]

When the league was absolutely trash.

[@wuliwei6939]

You are an idiot

[@chitownkidd33]

Charlesie This 98 Jazz team would sweep every 2018 Eastern Conference team.

[@CoreyT127]

The last great year. The league has been getting worse since this to the point where it's basically unwatchable now!

[@anjolapresca]

You mean NBA now is trash with bunch of soft plumbers

[@stevyluv743]

Charlesle Yuo R A giant Jack ass No way that it was trash / just Look at today's NBA