Considering Karl sexually harrassed a 13-year-old just before joining the NBA, these comments made him look even worse.
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Karl Malone recently made a highly controversial appearance at the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend. The event was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Malone spent 18 seasons of his professional career, earning two of his MVP awards and many other honors. Malone was a great basketball player, but his behavior off the court was unacceptable. In addition to impregnating a 13-year-old girl (when he was a 20-year-old college basketball player), Malone also sexually abused the late Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant. The 6-foot-9-inch power forward spent the last season of his career with Bryant, where he played for the LA Lakers. Unfortunately, even his last season wasn’t without controversy. In 2004, during Malone’s only season with the Lakers, the power forward wore a cowboy hat and boots at the Staples Center, home of the Lakers.
Vanessa Bryant saw an NBA veteran and questioned him about his looks. “Hey cowboy, what are you chasing?” Vanessa Bryant asked Malone. However, his reaction was strange given that Bryant’s wife was of Mexican descent. “I’m looking for a Mexican girl,” Malone replied. This wasn’t the only incident involving Karl Malone and Vanessa Bryant. The star asked Kobe Bryant’s wife if she liked him. Vanessa tried to ignore him and told him he was going to be his father. Said I was old enough. “Oh, like Dad?” Malone said to Bryant. Malone said of the Bryant incident, “I don’t want trouble.” But if something has to happen, I don’t play fair. I am just telling you.”
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Considering Karl sexually harrassed a 13-year-old just before joining the NBA, these comments made him look even worse. Nonetheless, the Utah Jazz legend made it into the league at the 2023 All-Star Weekend, where Malone was a judge in the Slam Dunk Contest and was also honored at halftime at the All-Star Game. Karl Malone was a great basketball player, but he failed to win a championship during his 19-year NBA career. He came close to undefeated in 1997 and 1998, but he lost twice to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The forward joined the Lakers for the 2003–04 season hoping to eventually win the championship.
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