Del Harris named the player who was the closest to Karl Malone: 'The only player I have ever seen to match Malone's all-round skills'

When Karl Malone was in his third NBA season, he was already making a name for himself with his remarkable skills on the court. This impressed then-Milwaukee Bucks head coach Del Harris, who called him "the definition of what a power forward is supposed to be" and described "The Mailman" as having "the total package."

Interestingly, Harris, a Hall of Famer since 2022, then mentioned that he believed only one player showed comparable talent: the legendary Elvin Hayes, who played from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.

"The only player I have ever seen to match Malone's all-round skills was Elvin Hayes in his prime," remarked Harris in 1988, per the New York Times.

More than just typical forwards

At the time of Harris's remarks, Malone was in his mid-20s and arguably not yet at his best. However, the 6'9" forward for the Utah Jazz was already proving to be a major challenge for most opponents. At the same time, he created a similar dilemma for anyone trying to pinpoint his role on the court. The reason? "The Mailman" had a distinctive playing, far from a typical forward during that era.

"He is a tough inside defender. If he gets the ball in the right spot on the low post, it's difficult to move him out because he is so strong. Yet he has the agility of a small forward. He is at his best going to the boards. He can pass, run the floor and can shoot reasonably well from the outside," explained Harris.

This versatility reminded the storied head coach of Hayes, who had shown similar qualities before retiring in 1984—just a year before "The Mailman" entered the league as the 13th overall pick from Louisiana Tech.

How Hayes mirrored "The Mailman"

When it comes to physical attributes, "The Big E" was also 6'9" tall but weighed just under Malone's 250 lbs, mostly made up of muscle. However, as Harris, who coached Hayes in the early '80s with the Houston Rockets, noted, the real similarities lay in their comparable skill sets.