This year’s NBA All-Star weekend came with controversy as the NBA allowed Karl Malone to be one of the Judges for the competitions.  Karl Malone was an amazing basketball player for the Utah Jazz.  He is the third highest scorer in the NBA all time and helped lead the Jazz to many NBA playoff and finals appearances. The problem was not about what Karl Malone did on the court; the problem with Karl Malone is what he did off the court.  In 1983, Karl Malone was 20 years old when he impregnated a 13 year old girl named Gloria Bell.  Malone should have faced statutory rape charges, but the family decided not to press charges because they thought he would provide them money. He did not provide them money though; instead, he  denied the fact that Demetrius Bell, who turned out to be an NFL football player, was his son.  People are upset and bewildered that the NBA allows Karl Malone to Judge the All-Star weekend.  Malone continues to be revered by the NBA as an All-Star athlete, yet they don’t seem to recognize that there is a DNA test that confirmed that he impregnated a 13 year old in 1983.

It is appalling that in this day and age the NBA would be remiss about a rape.  I am surprised when I hear stories about rape not being recognized in the 80’s and people getting away with that offense.   I find it even more concerning that in 2023 the NBA would continue to recognize and celebrate this player by allowing him the privilege of being a judge for this competition.  I look at my brother who is just 13 years old and I can’t imagine him having sexual intercourse with a grown adult, let alone giving permission.  My brother, at 13 years old, is wildly innocent and sometimes easily influenced.  He and his friends of the same age seem to really look up to accomplished athletes.  I have to imagine this 13 year old girl, who had Karl Malone’s baby, may have been easily influenced or even enamored with Malone as he was an up and coming star athlete.     

I came across an NBA analyst, named Bomani Jones, who said comments on Karl Malone.  “I hated Karl Malone so much before I had a great reason, I only had good ones. Like just being a dirty player, elbowing people all the time. And then, you know, we found out the whole thing. If you don’t know this, when he was in college, Karl Malone had a baby with a 13-year-old.  There’s never been any sort of reckoning for Malone because Malone lays low.”  In this quote you can see how Malone was already a ‘hated’ player, since he played dirty.  That was just the heat of the game though, what he did off the court was just unacceptable and he should have faced punishment.  “But if you’re doing something for Utah basketball, it’s like Karl Malone and John Stockton.… But Karl Malone… you’re kind of supposed to leave him at home.”  I agree with this statement because why would you bring a person who has been truly convicted of statutory rape to one of the biggest basketball events.  Even if he was one of the best players to play in the game’s host city, the NBA should have chosen a different person.   “So, I never wanna see Karl Malone all time, any other point. But he’s going to be there, and it’s going to be wildly uncomfortable for a lot of people. And then tomorrow we’re gonna forget it ever happened.”  I believe that Bomani is right because there were many people besides him saying that Malone should not even be at this game.  In addition to this, he definitely made players and fans at that game uncomfortable.

With what Karl Malone’s done off the court, the NBA most definitely should have kept him at home.