On April 4, 1997, Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone became the first player in NBA history to score at least 2,000 points in 11 consecutive regular seasons.
'The Mailman, as Malone was nicknamed, scored a total of 24,800 points in 898 games over 11 straight seasons with the first being the 1987-88 campaign where he scored 2,268. His career-high tally for a single-season came during the 1989-90 season when he scored a total of 2,540 points.
During that stretch Malone earned his first of his two career league MVP awards in 1997-98. Alongside his point guard in John Stockton, he led the Jazz to a franchise-record 64 wins and their first-ever NBA Finals appearance. However, he came up short in leading the team to their first-ever title as they lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
Over the 11-year stretch, he was named to the All-NBA and All-Star teams each season.
At the end of his 19-year career in the NBA, in 2004, Malone finished with 36,928 points which ranked second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's tally of 38,387.
Other notable events on April 4
- In 1996, with a 100-92 win over the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls extended their home winning streak to start the season to an NBA-record figure of 37. Over the span of two seasons, this was the 44th straight home victory for the Bulls. During this game, Jordan, by recording four steals, became the fourth member of the NBA's 2,000 steal club.
- In 1996, the visiting Boston Celtics snapped the Orlando Magic's 51-game home win streak against Eastern Conference opponents with a 100-98 win.
Game-winning Buzzer-beaters on April 4
Marcus Smart vs. Toronto Raptors in 2015
Kobe Bryant vs. Memphis Grizzlies in 2003
Mike Bibby vs. Houston Rockets in 2000
Elvin Hayes vs. Atlanta Hawks in 1969
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