Karl Malone has one of the most recognizable mugs in the NBA. Why hide it, some might wonder, beneath a full, bushy beard?
Well, the secret's out: Malone revealed Wednesday that he is doing it on a dare. "It's one of those things that kind of started off as joke," he said.
And it is the Jazz star who is giggling all the way to the bank, not the barber shop.
This hair-raising humor began when Jazz rookie DeShawn Stevenson bet Malone a friendly $200 a week that he wouldn't maintain the facial growth through the end of the regular season. The Mailman said he would, and soon other teammates — Bryon Russell, David Benoit and Donyell Marshall among them — joined in.
Now, the pot is worth more than $10,000 if Malone 'adhairs' to it through mid-April.
He's allowed to trim and maintain, but, still, the prize money for sporting the mostly black beard doesn't come without a cost.
Malone's youngest daughter doesn't like that the pricklier follicles "stick her."
His wife "did get her mascara and try to color in the gray," he said with a twist of some of the lighter-than-the-rest hairs.
And Malone has even had taken some shots from the national media regarding his new look, including the one from New York Post columnist and noted Jazz basher Peter Vecsey, who recently wrote, "Have you seen Karl Malone lately? It's incredible how well Rogaine is working on his face."
Cracks about the bald-up-top Malone's long-expired promotional contract with the hair-growth product aside, the Mailman is keeping his head up. It's all worth it, he joked, because he needs the cash. The kids are private school, after all, and his $15.75 million annual salary only comes in three lump-sum installments.
"Next check's not until August," he smirked. "So you should feel sorry for me."
Hair's to that.
E-MAIL: tbuckley@desnews.com