Karl Malone, former Utah Jazz star and NBA Hall of Famer, celebrated his 50th birthday by buying a mule.
Malone is a fitness buff who has a passion for hunting and fishing.
The Salt Lake Tribune noted that Malone has been hiking through the hills of Arkansas and Louisiana in pursuit of game since he was a child.
“Instead of being an athlete and walking everywhere, he got himself a mule,” his wife, Kay Malone, told The Salt Lake Tribune. “I think he’s listening to his body more. He’s preserving himself more. He wants to be able to do things with the grandkids.”
Latest: Do You Support Giving Illegals Citizenship? Vote Here Now
Malone — whose Twitter posts show him recently fishing in Alaska with his daughter, Kenai — was one of the NBA’s greatest power forwards. He was known as The Mailman for always delivering.
He didn’t deliver any Twitter posts on his 50th birthday Wednesday, but others did.
“Karl Malone bought a mule on his 50th birthday,” tweeted @GregGagliardi. “I was planning on adding commentary here, but I think that is funny on its own.”
Maybe it was time, though.
Yahoo! Sports noted that Malone once said the only thing he couldn’t do in his free time under terms of his contract was shoot a firearm off the back of a horse or mule.
“And that cost me a trophy black bear in Wyoming three weeks ago,” he told a group when he was still playing back in 2000. He added that he was glad he didn’t open fire, though, when he learned the mule he was riding would get spooked if he did.
According to the Yahoo! story, Malone added that “mules won’t put their feet where there’s a danger to them. Horses will. So don’t go out and buy one of those fancy thoroughbreds and find you you’re on your back and your wife collecting on the big insurance policy.”
Urgent: Is Obamacare Hurting Your Wallet? Vote in Poll
Related stories:
Gilbert Arenas Arrested for 100 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks in Truck
Dwayne Wade’s Ex-Wife: I’m Living on the Street, NBA Star Won’t Pay Up