The Shady Truth About Karl Malone
Karl Malone is one of the NBA's legends. Malone played an almost-unstoppable power forward, thanks to his size and strength. Malone has won some impressive records as well. According to the NBA's Legends Profile, Malone has "attempted more free throws and grabbed more defensive rebounds than any player in NBA history."
Malone was chosen to play on the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and won two Olympic gold medals, according to the outlet. Because of his talent as someone who always delivered on court, Malone got the nickname "The Mailman."
Malone's nickname became the butt of one very famous moment of NBA trash-talk. Scottie Pippen, a Chicago Bulls star, was playing against Malone, a Utah Jazz superstar. It was game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals, according to Bleacher Report, and Malone was preparing to shoot two free throws in a tied game on Sunday, June 1, 1997.
Just as Malone was about to shoot, Pippen yelled, "The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays." Malone missed both shots and the Bulls won the game.
While the anecdote is hilarious, there's a shocking side to Malone that has been uncovered over the years. While he may be an NBA legend, there are some shady details about his personal life that will totally shock you.
The false image Karl Malone presents to the world
While Karl Malone might be an inspiration on the court, the NBA star has some secretive sides in his personal life. In the image he shows to the media, Malone presents himself as an ideal family man. A 2018 interview with Deseret News depicts Malone happy at home with his wife, Kay, a former Miss Idaho USA pageant winner whom Malone married on December 24, 1990.
Together, they had four children: Kadee, Kylee, Karl Jr., and Karlee (pictured above). The article also briefly mentions that Malone has three children from before his marriage, including twins, Cheryl and Daryl Ford. Malone says he is in contact with his twins "on a near daily basis." But there's another child, a son, named Demetrius Bell, who doesn't share in the idyllic attitude his half-siblings have towards Malone.
Malone admits that he had a tough time in his past accepting his older children, per Deseret News, "I made a mistake, they're not a mistake, but being young myself and the responsibilities was overwhelming to me, but you just deal with it."
While Malone admits that something was wrong, what actually happened for him to say that he made a mistake?
Karl Malone rejects his eldest son
Karl Malone's eldest son, Demetrius Bell (pictured above left), had some scathing things to say about his NBA superstar father. According to ESPN, Bell spoke about his relationship with his father: "I treat it as if my mother went to the sperm bank. I don't hate him for [not being in my life]. It made me a better person."
According to Bell, Malone never wanted anything to do with his son, even after Bell tried to contact his father through the NBA office, per ESPN. Bell noted how Malone began a relationship with his fraternal twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford, whom he also had before he got married. However, when it came to Bell, Malone said it was too late for him to be his father.
As if that's not bad enough, the story between Malone and Bell's mother gets worse. Malone came back to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana when he was a sophomore at Louisiana Tech for a break and reportedly impregnated Bell's mother when she was just 13, per ESPN.
Karl Malone admits he messed up
As Karl Malone's eldest son, Demetrius Bell, grew up, his mother's family pursued child support. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Bell's grandparents took Malone to court in 1986, when he was already playing for the Utah Jazz. They requested $200 a week, which Malone didn't respond to. However, a Louisiana judge ruled Malone was indeed Bell's father, thanks to a paternity test "and ordered Malone to pay $125 a week, plus past and future medical expenses," (via ESPN.)
However, Malone said it was too much money and they came to a "confidential out-of-court settlement with Bell's family between 1988 and 1989," per ESPN.
But Bell's story isn't all sad. In 2008, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills and became a proud NFL player. Bell went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, per KFFL.
While Malone's behavior towards his son is heartbreaking, ESPN points out that Malone's own father commited suicide when he was three years old. Not only that, but according to Deseret News, Malone admitted he may have made a mistake in how he dealt with his oldest children, saying: "I didn't handle it right; I was wrong, but I'm not going to every time I see you try to go back and make up for it because you can't."
Malone added: "Father Time is the biggest thief that's out there, and you can't get that back.