Karl Malone gives a striking response on 1998 NBA Finals encounter against Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan's The Last Dance finally came to a conclusion last weekend. The 10-part docu-series ended with Michael Jordan winning his sixth and final NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls while defeating Karl Malone and John Stockton's Utah Jazz in the finals. The last two episodes focused on how Jordan and co overcame Utah Jazz in a thrilling NBA Finals series. However, former Utah Jazz stars Karl Malone and Bryon Russell refused to be part of the documentary as revealed by The Last Dance director Jason Hehir. However, the makers of The Last Dance recently released an unseen interview with Karl Malone from 2019 where he is talking about Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls team from 1998.

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Karl Malone interview 

Karl Malone vs Dennis Rodman in the 1998 NBA Finals

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Karl Malone gave a striking response to 1998 NBA Finals encounter against Michael Jordan

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Karl Malone interview from 2019

ESPN released a previously unseen interview which shows Karl Malone talking about the 1998 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan. The Utah Jazz great was quoted as saying, “Why? Why do I have to?" Malone answered. "But I tell you this, I'm all man and I accept the responsibility for not winning one [a championship]. And we was there, we just happened to be playing the Chicago Bulls, which wasn't just Michael Jordan by the way and I have the utmost respect for Michael.”

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Karl Malone, who is second on the NBA all-time scoring list, further went on to heap praise on the entire Chicago Bulls squad, claiming the team was more than just Michael Jordan. The 14-time NBA All-Star added, "But I never thought I was playing Michael Jordan, I was playing the Chicago Bulls but let's not…you know, everybody say this person was a bad man and all of that. Well, yes, I give them respect but I've got a setup. I'm a man, and I was a bad son of a b****, too.  So that's how I look at that, and that's who I am. Maybe in my older years I can call it that bluntly but I'm just calling it like I see it."

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