• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Fans rage at Karl Malone's All-Star game appearance after finding out he got a 12-year-old pregnant

Home> NBA

Updated 05:21 21 Feb 2023 GMTPublished 05:13 21 Feb 2023 GMT

Fans rage at Karl Malone's All-Star game appearance after finding out he got a 12-year-old pregnant

In 1983, Malone, who was 20 years old at the time, impregnated 13-year-old, Gloria Bell.

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins

Fans were left enraged after on-court basketball legend Karl Malone was included in the NBA All-Star game festivities.

Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron in a game that was labelled ‘the worst basketball game ever played’ by Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone.

And while that may have been enough to leave a sour taste in fans’ mouths, it was nothing compared to another move by the NBA.

The league brought in a couple of controversial Jazz legends to celebrate the game with the game being in Utah.

Advert

John Stockton was in attendance, raising eyebrows due to his wild Covid-19 opinions.

However, the appearance of Karl Malone saw a heap of backlash from NBA fans and analysts alike.

Malone was invited to join LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a photo to commemorate the top three point-scoers in the league’s history.

That certain photo certainly led to many kicking off online.

But why exactly?

Advert

Well, it stems from an incident off the court rather than on it - and even before Malone ever even played for the Utah Jazz.

In 1983, Malone, who was 20 years old at the time, impregnated 13-year-old, Gloria Bell.

The now 59-year-old never had any charges brought against him as Malone ‘could not provide support for the child from jail’, according to Bell’s recount of the incident to the Salt Lake Tribune in 1998.

However, the NBA player ignored his responsibilities as a father, according to Tribue reporter Gordon Monson, who said Malone initially denied paternity.

Advert

His son, Demetress Bell actually grew up to become an offensive tackle in the NFL, playing for the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Malone has never publicly addressed the incident and refused to comment on it when pressed on his past mistakes during media availability.

He told reporters, via The Salt Lake Tribune: “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.”

Advert

It led to a whole lot of basketball fans calling out the NBA for shining a light on Malone.

One fan tweeted: “Karl Malone being a known pedophile and everybody just being like whatever is still crazy to me after all this time.”

Another wrote: “We should not be acknowledging - let alone honouring - Karl Malone. Disgusting.”

Advert

A third added: “Karl Malone impregnated a literal child. He’s one of the worst human beings to ever be involved in the NBA. Get this man tf off our screens.”

SPORTbible reached out to the NBA for comment.

Featured Image Credit: UPI / Alamy. ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy.

Topics: NBA, Basketball, US Sports

Jayden Collins
Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at SPORTbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
2 days ago
  • a day ago

    Tyrese Haliburton is about to cost Pacers astronomical sum of money after devastating setback

    Haliburton has undergone surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.

    NBA
  • a day ago

    Dallas Mavericks stars make their LeBron James feelings known ahead of potential Lakers trade

    Kyrie Irving has previously been keen in private on the Mavs to trade with the LA Lakers for former running mate James

    NBA
  • a day ago

    Steph Curry has clear LeBron James stance as trade to Golden State Warriors rumoured

    Curry and James were both instrumental as the US secured gold at the Olympics in Paris last year having served as NBA rivals for years

    NBA
  • 2 days ago

    LeBron James 'seriously considered' accepting shock contract as LA Lakers future thrown into fresh doubt

    LeBron James has been linked with a move away from the Los Angeles Lakers.

    NBA
  • Draymond Green claims ejected NBA fan made death threats during game
  • Lakers star Russell Westbrook gets brutally trolled in crude remark
  • Draymond Green calls himself 'a very flawed human being' after video shows him punching teammate
  • Brittney Griner facing a 'terrible' life inside 'miserable' Russian penal colony