The Mailman might have been a highly revered and dependable basketball player in his day, but a lot has changed. Now Karl Malone works for his daughter in their family-run business. The Utah Jazz icon runs Legends Cigar and Vape, a well-known cigar shop in Ruston, Louisiana.
Malone runs the shop with his daughter Kadee Malone who is, in a literal sense, the boss lady of the business. During a conversation, Kadee and Karl talked about the idea behind running the shop, who is in charge, and the community he’s trying to build.
Karl Malone’s love for cigars is now a family-run business
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NBA players and their love for cigars is well known. Over the years we have seen several celebrities getting into different business ventures, but Malone chose to go with something he loves. Now the Legends Cigar and Vape is a place for everyone, regardless of their background. If you love smoking a cigar and having a conversation, Malone’s shop is the place to be. As far as the operations of the place go, Kadee runs the place and nothing gets a green signal without her approval. This rule applies to her father as well.
During an interview in 2018, she said, “We’re 50-50 but at the same time, I say 90-10 because I do everything. He just kind of shows up.” Just to emphasize the “boss lady” tag, she said, “But really, though, even when people come here and ask ‘Karl, can I do this?’ he’ll be like, ‘Woah, let me call the boss lady first’ so he has to call me. So he doesn’t do anything without me saying yes.” It’s pretty clear who runs the place and that person can’t be anyone else but Kadee.
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Malone’s idea of the place is slightly different, it’s more than just business for him. During a 2019 interview, he unveiled what the shop means to him and how he sees it contributing to the idea of community. He said, “Cigar stores can be home to anybody. So you could have a banker in here, a governor in here, but then you could have someone off the street and they’d be in here”.
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He has shaped up the place to really give a sense of community to the visitors. Malone said, “Here at Legends, we don’t have [a single] TV in here, because people should sit and talk while they smoke. It makes for a great community”. If you’re looking for an experience while you enjoy your cigar, Karl Malone has a place for you.
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