Last night, together with the participants of the competition, the NBA also announced that Karl Malone will also be among the judges of this Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest.
Presenting 2023 #ATTSlamDunk Judge.. Karl Malone! #StateFarmSaturday: Feb. 18, TNT pic.twitter.com/PzGT9003CC
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 15, 2023
Malone is an NBA legend, a true force of nature in the 90s, with several spectacular dunks in his repertoire. However, the choice of him as judge has created, and he is creating, several controversies. Obviously it has nothing to do with Malone’s role on a basketball court or the Slam Dunk Contest, but with a shadow that has been hovering over his figure for several years.
The part light (but in reality it is not at all light) of this story refers to when Malone “I’ll try”not to say “annoying”, Vanessa Bryant, just as he was teammates with Kobe at the Lakers. Still more serious instead the fact of getting a 13-year-old girl pregnant. Malone was 20 at the time, playing in college and having sex it is not known how much consent with Gloria Bell, precisely 13 years old, who did not report him and months later gave birth to Demetrius Bell, who would later become a professional athlete in the NFL.
This indelible stain on Malone’s resume (and absurdly not on his criminal record) has led several NBA fans to protest the former Jazz’s involvement in an official event such as the Slam Dunk Contest. Especially for a League so attentive to legality and equality, the presence of such a controversial figure has amazed many and sparked a real revolt on social media.
Milan. Graduated in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations at the Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I support Orlando Magic and I do everything possible not to hide it.
