Malone, who played in the '93 game in Salt Lake City, believes '23 will give fans a good impression of UtahNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The NBA All-Star Game is returning to Salt Lake City in '23, and Basketball HOFer Karl Malone said it is "about damn time" the event came back to Utah, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com. Malone sees this as an "opportunity to clear up many misconceptions about the state." He said, "We're gonna see the same host of characters that go to every All-Star Game, and they're gonna put all the celebrities on the front row which is bulls--- by the way, but the thing about it is to be able to be at home and showing people our city and not the stereotype of, 'Aw, it's Utah. Oh, it's the Mormons,' but 'Hey, it's Baptist, Catholic, Jewish, and just a whole smorgasbord of religions, races and ethnicities' but it's got that rep." Malone: "Everybody is quick to say, 'Oh, I don't know about Utah, because you can't find alcohol,' but first of all it's a state liquor store on every corner and then on the flip side of it, hell, bring your own." Malone said that the Jazz "haven't contacted him about committing to any of the All-Star festivities -- although the front office says it will when the time is right." Malone: "I'm not gonna lie, it does bother me. Look, hurting feelings, that seems like a wimp so I'm not gonna say that but it does piss me off that it's like they spent their time getting rid of legacies" (ESPN.com, 10/29).
