EL DORADO, Ark. -

“The Mailman” now is delivering Toyota, Ford, Lincoln and Chevrolet vehicles in Arkansas.

Karl Malone, who had that nickname while playing basketball in the NBA for 19 years, grew his business this week with the Karl Malone Auto Group by acquiring three new-vehicle franchises in El Dorado, Ark.

According to a news release, the Teague stores — including Teague Toyota, Teague Ford/Lincoln and Teague Chevrolet — are now Karl Malone Toyota of El Dorado, Karl Malone Ford/Lincoln and Karl Malone Chevrolet, respectively.

“They are proud to continue the tradition of excellence that the Karl Malone name brings in customer service and pricing,” the group said in a news release that also mentioned Malone also owns and operates Karl Malone Toyota of Ruston, La.,

With the addition of the Teague stores, Malone owns 10 dealerships, including powersports and automotive, and a body and paint shop in Utah.

Malone is a familiar celebrity in both Louisiana and Utah.

He grew up in the Bayou State and played college basketball at Louisiana Tech. Malone then played in the NBA for 19 years.

Malone made 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA first-team selections, four all-defensive nods, two league MVPs, two All-Star MVPs, all while with the Utah Jazz. He also earned two Olympic gold medals, the first with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and the “Dream Team” in 1992.

In 2005, Malone announced his official retirement from basketball.

Earlier this year, Malone partnered with Jeff Teague, owner of the Teague automotive dealerships, as they donated $20,000 to a fund they started to help the victims of a recent refinery fire.