Long ago in a different life, I thought Karl Malone was about to be surpassed.
     
It was the 1993 NBA Playoffs. Seattle's Shawn Kemp, just 24, had scored 29 points in the opener against the Jazz. There was talk of the torch being passed. Malone had had a nice run as the top power forward in the league. But Kemp was quicker and jumped higher. It seemed inevitable he would become great. Malone would be 30 that summer, which seemed to mean his days as a dominating player were numbered.
     
A Seattle-area writer asked my opinion on who was better. I remarked that Malone wasn't as athletic. Moreover, Kemp had begun to realize he could play with the most feared power forward in the league. I said even though Malone was still better, the change could come soon. Very soon.