One of the most contentious decisions the NBA made this season was including Karl Malone as a part of the festivities for All-Star Weekend in Utah. Malone is the third all-time leading scorer in the league’s history and arguably the GOAT of the franchise on the court, but there are very serious issues with his off-field conduct in the past that make him a fairly unlikeable personality among NBA fans.
One of the most notorious facts about Karl Malone is that he impregnated a 13-year-old girl called Gloria Bell when he was 20 years old. When the news first came to light, Malone declined to acknowledge his son, Demetress Bell, who would go on to become an NFL player. And while the act would be considered statutory rape, the family of Bell didn’t press charges against Malone because he was a ‘neighborhood kid.’
Karl Malone’s career could have ended before it even began if this matter had been escalated. And while he initially denied it, he eventually acknowledged Demetress Bell as his son. While Malone himself didn’t address the whole situation a lot, it came up again when his being a judge for the Slam Dunk Contest was announced. And Malone has now spoken about what people have to say about him, issuing a response.
Karl Malone Says He Doesn’t Care About Any Of The Backlash Over His Personal Life
Getting involved with a minor while being 20 is a massive issue; there is no doubt that. And it’s hard to say that Malone doesn’t deserve some of the vitriol that’s been aimed at him over his transgression. But speaking to the Salt Lake Tribune, Malone recently said that he simply does not care what people have to say about him on that front anymore.
“I’m not discussing any of that backlash. I don’t care. That’s my life, that’s my personal life, and I’ll deal with that like I’ve had to deal with everything. So, whatever.”
– Karl Malone on the backlash he has received after impregnating a 13-year-old girl at the age of 20… pic.twitter.com/2M0hCHxY5i
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 20, 2023
“I’m not discussing any of that backlash. I don’t care. That’s my life, that’s my personal life, and I’ll deal with that like I’ve had to deal with everything. So, whatever.”
These words are unlikely to earn Karl Malone any fans. What he did has not aged well in terms of society’s moral values in the 2020s. Considering how passionately Bomani Jones spoke against Malone, for example, it’s safe to say that a subsection of NBA fans will never be okay with him being honored. There is no straightforward answer to how one can deal with a situation like this, but the NBA will certainly have to think about it the next time they decide to involve Malone in any public capacity.
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