Jeff Malone facts for kids

Jeffrey Nigel Malone, born on June 28, 1961, is a former American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State. He is most famous for his time with the Washington Bullets (1983–1990) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his time with the Bullets, he was chosen as an NBA All-Star twice. He played as a shooting guard and was known for his amazing scoring skills. After the Bullets, he also played for the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat.

Jeff Malone's Basketball Journey

Becoming an NBA Star

Jeff Malone played in the NBA for 13 years. He averaged 19.0 points per game throughout his career. He was known for being a strong scorer. He averaged more than 20 points in six full NBA seasons while playing for Washington and Utah. Malone was especially good at using screens to get open. He would then quickly shoot a mid-range jump shot. Even when defenders were close, his shots were often accurate. Sometimes, Malone would get "hot" and score more than 15 points in just one quarter!

On January 3, 1984, during his first year in the NBA, Malone made a game-winning 3-pointer against the Detroit Pistons. He was falling out of bounds but still managed to shoot the ball over the backboard. It went in, giving the Bullets a 103–102 lead with only one second left! This shot was even listed as one of the NBA's greatest shots.

Over the next few years, Malone became one of the best scoring guards in the league. He was picked for the NBA All-Star Game in both 1986 and 1987. In his last season with the Bullets (1989–90), he averaged his career-best 24.3 points per game.

Time with the Utah Jazz

After leaving the Bullets, Malone was traded to the Utah Jazz. This team already had future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and John Stockton. Jeff Malone added even more scoring power to their team. In his first year with the Jazz, he averaged 18.6 points per game. He also shot 91.7 percent on free throws, which was the second-best in the league that season.

The next year, he averaged 20.2 points per game. He was even named NBA Player of the Week in December 1991. His scoring helped the Jazz reach the Western Conference Finals that year. This was the team's best playoff performance at that time. During the 1993–94 season, Malone was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. This trade brought Jeff Hornacek to Utah.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Jeff Malone became a coach. In July 1999, he was hired as an assistant coach for the IBL Stingrays.

Malone also coached the NBA Development League team, the Columbus Riverdragons, from 2001 to 2005. He had a good record with them. After the team moved and changed its name to the Austin Toros, Malone left. He then coached the Florida Flame until that team stopped playing in 2006.

Jeff Malone's Family Life

Jeff Malone lives in Chandler, Arizona, with his wife. He has four children named Jay, Joshua, Justin, and Jasmine Malone. He also has one grandson, Marshall Knutson-Malone.

Malone is the nephew of the late Vivian Malone Jones. She was the first African American person to graduate from the University of Alabama. He is also the nephew of Dr. Sharon Malone Holder, who is married to former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

It's important to know that Jeff Malone is not related to his former Jazz teammate Karl Malone. He is also not related to Moses Malone, who was his teammate in Washington from 1986 to 1988.

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Malone para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders