NBA Hall of Famer, Karl “The Mailman” Malone, delivered over 36K points over his 19-year career, ranking second in all-time NBA scoring history only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Malone was a 14-time All-Star and a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. Malone is a Utah Jazz staple, even after being retired for 20 years. An 8-foot-high bronze statue of his likeness stands in Salt Lake City. The next two decades of his life have been spent as a successful entrepreneur owning businesses from car dealerships to running a deer hunting venture called Malone Outfitters—Malone as your personal, licensed guide. He’s an avid hunter. His house in his home state of Louisiana looks like a taxidermist shop! It sits on a large timberland property.
One of his first business ventures out of retirement was harvesting the trees. He’s hands-on. Malone will actually haul the timber himself, apparently loving trucking. It gives him time to think. Recently he has opened some Louisiana businesses near his family home with his oldest daughter who’s got the entrepreneur bug too. She’s super proud of their Cigar and Vape Shop. They traveled to the Dominican Republic to research out the endeavor. In that Louisiana town they also own a restaurant together called Teriyaki Grill, Tactical by Karl Malone, a clothing store, plus an apartment complex for college students. It’s Ruston, Louisiana, but people just call it “Malone Town.” In Salt Lake City, where his auto dealerships are located, Malone Properties employs over 370 workers.
Shawn Bradley – Utah Rancher
You can’t miss this guy on the court. Even among giants, Shawn Bradley towered at 7-foot, six-inches. Bradley was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1993 after leaving Brigham Young. He went on to play center for the Nets and the Mavericks, leading the league in blocks in 1997. In 2005 he called it quits.
One of his post-retirement endeavors has been running for the House of Representatives as a 2010 Republican candidate. He lost that race, but he went on to be in the movie Space Jam. His day job is running a ranch. Finding a horse big enough to carry him is one of the challenges of working on the ranch. He enjoys operating heavy equipment and has his own heavy equipment rental company called Mammoth Machinery, also based in Utah. Bradley is also a devout Mormon. He and his wife of six children live on the Utah ranch.
Kenny Anderson - A Camp Director
NBA point guard, Kenny Anderson from Queens, N.Y., played for the New Jersey Nets and several other teams, staying four seasons with the Celtics. Straight out of Georgia Tech, after leading the team to the 1990 Final Four, he made the 1991 All-American first-team his rookie year. Anderson went on to make the All-Star team in 1994 and to enjoy a solid career, retiring in 2006. His advice to retirees of the NBA? He addresses an all-too-common problem: “Be cautious on who you allow to handle your finances,” adding, “You think you’re letting other people help you out but they could be stealing from you.”
High school basketball coaching became his day job after he left professional basketball. A DUI ejected him from that career, but he’s been running basketball camps in Florida and gets back on the court as a coach of youth travel league. Sadly, Anderson suffered a stroke in February of this year and is now recovering.
Brandon Roy - High School Basketball Coach
As a Portland Trailblazer shooting guard, Brandon Roy brought the team great hopes for a Hall of Fame player on their roster. In 2007 he confirmed their hopes earning Rookie of the Year and going on to become a three-time NBA All-Star. His intimidating basketball presence earned this compliment from Kobe Bryant who struggled to guard the Trailblazer: “Roy has no weaknesses in his game.” Unfortunately, his knee gave out and he retired in 2011. A comeback attempt in 2012 with the Timberwolves failed, sadly. Before Roy hit his 30s, he was out of the league.
It took him a few years to accept this fate. As a coach at his old high school, Garfield High in Seattle, being on the court again has put his mind at ease. “It was tough, not being able to play this game,” Roy said, “But I’m at peace now. Basketball is again in my life.” And, frankly, he doesn’t miss the demanding NBA schedule nor the bright taxing lights of fame. “I now love being able to go home and see my family at the end of the day,” Roy reflects.
Bryant Reeves – Cattle Rancher
This former NBA great loves retirement. Oklahoma State University basketball phenom Bryant Reeves led the team to the Final Four in 1995 and then landed a spot on the NBA expansion Vancouver Grizzlies as their first ever draft choice to play center. With a nickname like “Big Country,” he’s definitely big—a huge 300-pound presence on the court, notoriously evoking fear in the hearts and minds of all NCAA players. Unfortunately, unforgiving back pain resulting from injuries forced him to retire after just six seasons. He moved on.
The first thing he did was buy a John Deere tractor and a 300-acre cattle farm in Oklahoma. On those acres he’s built his dream house, a 15,000-square-foot ranch. He’s also enjoyed coaching T-ball for his son’s Little League team. And, he’s not ruling out going back to get involved with Oklahoma State’s basketball program. As for professional basketball, “I do miss the NBA, but now with three kids, I enjoy being at home. It was fun while it lasted,” said Reeves. Humbling words, indeed.