Utah Jazz: Is Karl Malone or Tim Duncan the best all-time power forward?

SALT LAKE CITY — If you ask John Stockton, there is no debate. Then again, David Robinson feels the same way.

The Hall of Famers' firm opinions contradict each other, though.

As for Karl Malone, well, The Mailman will let everyone else banter back and forth about a topic that will no doubt be discussed around water coolers with the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies taking place this week.

That argument being, of course: Who is the best power forward of all time?

Is it the current popular choice of Tim Duncan? Perhaps Charles Barkley? One of the Kevins (McHale or Garnett)? Maybe Dirk Nowitzki or an old-timer like Bob Pettit or Elvin Hayes?

Or could it be the postal carrier that would carry the vote in Louisiana and Utah?

So, Mailman, are you the best ever?

"I don't know," Malone answered when asked the question during a recent KSL-TV interview.

Malone admitted that he never even thought about those types of things during his playing days.

"Being the best power forward or the best player," he said, "I will tell you without a doubt I never thought I was."

When it came to being ready to play, however, Malone definitely believes he held that advantage.

"Not one time," he said, "did I step on the floor physically and think that somebody was in better conditioning than I was."

Good luck finding competitors or observers to debate that topic.

As far as the all-time best question, Robinson proclaimed Duncan, his San Antonio Spurs sidekick, to be the premier power forward during his Hall of Fame speech last September.

The rebuttal came quickly.

Not surprisingly, Malone received an assist — this one in the form of verbal support — from Stockton at the same enshrinement ceremony. The Jazz legendary point guard called his favorite target "the greatest power forward to have ever played the game."

There is a pro-Duncan crowd among the Jazz family, though — including Malone himself.

Malone recently said he got giddy to play power forwards like Buck Williams and Maurice Lucas — even Charles Oakley.