What the HELL was the NBA/Silver thinking involving Karl Malone so much in all-star weekend?

[Magneto89]

Malone was hardly even involved in the NBA ever since retiring in 2004. You barely saw him on ESPN/TNT etc. The only time he would get brought up was when talking about the NBA's all-time scoring leaders and most recently when LeBron passed him

I don't see what the problem is if the NBA brought him and Stockton out 30 years from the last All-Star game in Utah. They used him as a judge and in a segment where the top 3 scorers were all together at one time. Some in this thread are acting as if he was on commentary all night and they named an award after him

Life is short, we've seen some NBA greats pass way before their time, so it was a touching gesture to see Karl finally get some shine after a long period of exile

People are just so quick to cancel anything, and why over something that happened 40 years ago when everyone who actually was involved in the situation has moved on

[HomoSapien]

There’s a lot of people in this thread revealing a lot of shockingly bad opinions.

This thread is scary with how people think on the issue of statuary rape

Exactly. To complain about wokism here is disturbing.

[AussieCeltic]

Threads like these always confirm my thoughts on particular posters.

I hope those that are defending Malone or making excuses around terminology don't have children now or in the future.

[Nate505]

The NBA should have known all the implications an All-Star Weekend in Utah was gonna have any way before hand.

Doesn't seem like there were many implications, other than a 12 page thread here.

[bwgood77]

What he did 40 years ago was despicable, but why would you expect the NBA to not involve him after he was a multi time all star, MVP, on the Dream Team, etc, all after that? Is it because of Silver?

Mike Tyson, for example, was convicted of rape and in prison after raping someone (not statutory rape but forcing sex with someone who didn't want it)......and still boxed after, that, has been in movies, etc.

It's fairly rare people hold even serious past trangressions against you your entire life. But the NBA didn't seem to care about this back when he was still playing and winning awards, going to all star games, the olympics, etc.

[tripa]

Seems normal to me. Former Lakers players always got away from this kinda stuff.

Ah yes, because when you think of Karl Malone you definitely think of the Lakers.

[G R E Y]

What he did 40 years ago was despicable, but why would you expect the NBA to not involve him after he was a multi time all star, MVP, on the Dream Team, etc, all after that? Is it because of Silver?

Mike Tyson, for example, was convicted of rape and in prison after raping someone (not statutory rape but forcing sex with someone who didn't want it)......and still boxed after, that, has been in movies, etc.

It's fairly rare people hold even serious past trangressions against you your entire life. But the NBA didn't seem to care about this back when he was still playing and winning awards, going to all star games, the olympics, etc.

I think the main objection is that Malone hadn't. That's a huge contrast between the two examples.

As vile as Tyson's criminal behavior was, he paid his debt, even if some may want to cancel him for life.

And as for the league not bothering to do anything about this in the past, well he was somehow never charged. Had this happened today there would likely be both criminal and league repercussions.

I don't like that this was all but ignored - and he got to set the media terms, insisting that he would not talk unless a particular reporter from a particular newspaper left the room - particularly because nothing was done and he never paid the legal price. If he had, it would sit less badly.

Did anyone ask Adam Silver about Malone's involvement?

[tripa]

If you go back into dhsilv2’s post history, he has never been so passionate about the dictionary until now. I wonder why?

[G R E Y]

If you go back into dhsilv2’s post history, he has never been so passionate about the dictionary until now. I wonder why?

Yeah gave birth therefore not pre-pubescent therefore not... something or other. Nothing like a hook up with a 'woman' in elementary school

Despite Utah having a 'Romeo and Juliet' law, it doesn't even come close to applying here now, and, I presume then, too.

[bwgood77]

What he did 40 years ago was despicable, but why would you expect the NBA to not involve him after he was a multi time all star, MVP, on the Dream Team, etc, all after that? Is it because of Silver?

Mike Tyson, for example, was convicted of rape and in prison after raping someone (not statutory rape but forcing sex with someone who didn't want it)......and still boxed after, that, has been in movies, etc.

It's fairly rare people hold even serious past trangressions against you your entire life. But the NBA didn't seem to care about this back when he was still playing and winning awards, going to all star games, the olympics, etc.

I think the main objection is that Malone hadn't. That's a huge contrast between the two examples.

As vile as Tyson's criminal behavior was, he paid his debt, even if some may want to cancel him for life.

And as for the league not bothering to do anything about this in the past, well he was somehow never charged. Had this happened today there would likely be both criminal and league repercussions.

I don't like that this was all but ignored - and he got to set the media terms, insisting that he would not talk unless a particular reporter from a particular newspaper left the room - particularly because nothing was done and he never paid the legal price. If he had, it would sit less badly.

Did anyone ask Adam Silver about Malone's involvement?

I don't really know. I didn't really pay attention, but Malone committed a terrible crime 40 years ago and it was not mentioned all that much for many years and it seems the more time goes by the more people get up in arms about it. He didn't g tget punished. He still was playing, getting accolades, etc, for a long time. Had he served time it would likely be long done and perhaps kind of forgotten, though who knows as much as we see it (though I don't hear people bringing up Tyson's rape whenever he is mentioned) but even if not punished this has probably happened a lot. I know Kobe is brought up when it's brought up here and with him many want to blame the girl for her rape saying she had intercourse with others or whatever but anyway, I find this one especially strange to be brought up so much given how long ago it was. I don't hear anyone talking about 40+ year old crimes anywhere else. This has been beaten to death and I don't pay close attention but I thought he might now have a relationship with the daughter or whatever.

Or are people still thinking charges should be brought now? I know there is no statute of limitations in many states for that. At some point it seems if the legal system, victims, etc, have all moved on that the public should too. It probably isn't something the victim wants brought up for the rest of her life either. She's in her 50s now and still obviously hearing about it all the time. She might even find the whole thing a blessing that brought her her daughter.

Not saying I think he should be at the all star game...just that he was at all star games all the time, playing, and getting awards and stuff a lot closer to the time he did this than now.

I imagine the NBA might not bring him to anything else (nor would he probably want to go) now though because of the backlash...which is probably a good thing.

[carrrnuttt]

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[G R E Y]

What he did 40 years ago was despicable, but why would you expect the NBA to not involve him after he was a multi time all star, MVP, on the Dream Team, etc, all after that? Is it because of Silver?

Mike Tyson, for example, was convicted of rape and in prison after raping someone (not statutory rape but forcing sex with someone who didn't want it)......and still boxed after, that, has been in movies, etc.

It's fairly rare people hold even serious past trangressions against you your entire life. But the NBA didn't seem to care about this back when he was still playing and winning awards, going to all star games, the olympics, etc.

I think the main objection is that Malone hadn't. That's a huge contrast between the two examples.

As vile as Tyson's criminal behavior was, he paid his debt, even if some may want to cancel him for life.

And as for the league not bothering to do anything about this in the past, well he was somehow never charged. Had this happened today there would likely be both criminal and league repercussions.

I don't like that this was all but ignored - and he got to set the media terms, insisting that he would not talk unless a particular reporter from a particular newspaper left the room - particularly because nothing was done and he never paid the legal price. If he had, it would sit less badly.

Did anyone ask Adam Silver about Malone's involvement?

I don't really know. I didn't really pay attention, but Malone committed a terrible crime 40 years ago and it was not mentioned all that much for many years and it seems the more time goes by the more people get up in arms about it. He didn't g tget punished. He still was playing, getting accolades, etc, for a long time. Had he served time it would likely be long done and perhaps kind of forgotten, though who knows as much as we see it (though I don't hear people bringing up Tyson's rape whenever he is mentioned) but even if not punished this has probably happened a lot. I know Kobe is brought up when it's brought up here and with him many want to blame the girl for her rape saying she had intercourse with others or whatever but anyway, I find this one especially strange to be brought up so much given how long ago it was. I don't hear anyone talking about 40+ year old crimes anywhere else. This has been beaten to death and I don't pay close attention but I thought he might now have a relationship with the daughter or whatever.

Or are people still thinking charges should be brought now? I know there is no statute of limitations in many states for that. At some point it seems if the legal system, victims, etc, have all moved on that the public should too. It probably isn't something the victim wants brought up for the rest of her life either. She's in her 50s now and still obviously hearing about it all the time. She might even find the whole thing a blessing that brought her her daughter.

Not saying I think he should be at the all star game...just that he was at all star games all the time, playing, and getting awards and stuff a lot closer to the time he did this than now.

I imagine the NBA might not bring him to anything else (nor would he probably want to go) now though because of the backlash...which is probably a good thing.

Agree with your last point but disagree with the underlying other premise that if a crime committed long ago was long ago then everyone should just move on. I know you don't mean it this way but it's sort of a license for bad behaviour. And saying that she may consider it a blessing because she had a child is frankly shocking and an assumption we cannot make. It ignores all the daily reminders of the event and the extra burden of a child raising a child, even if there was help. There's a difference between acceptance and resignation and we have no idea where this lies for her.

People move on when the wrong has been addressed. This is why there are commissions for things that happened even hundreds of years ago (I'm thinking now of Indigenous children abused and killed in the Christian schools as it's in the news in Canada, though there's no shortage of other examples).

I don't think that cancel culture is the same thing as acknowledging a basic unfairness with the entire situation. And it keeps getting brought up precisely because nothing was done that should have been.

My sense is that the league's hands are tied to the extent that it's not a court of law or the morality police. The Primo situation, by contrast, was dealt with swiftly, and with the league's help, nothing with his name on it was sold on any official league sites. But then again that's an ongoing criminal investigation, even if lawsuits have been settled.

Was there some sort of legal settlement and NDA between Malone and the girl he raped? I don't know. But because there was no other legal action then, and because this was in Utah where he played, this was the decision made, an awkward contained honour that keeps spilling out of its intended space because something glaring remains unresolved in a way that hits at the basic core of human sense of what is just.

[tripa]

sick of cancel culture and people who think of themselves as sinless and pure.

viewtopic.php?p=103829032#p103829032

[Pennebaker]

Silver gets a lot of flak for his decision making around here. This may be his most baffling decision. Karl got honored multiple times during the all-star weekend. He was out there with Kareem and LeBron. He won Legend of the Year at the NBA brunch.

What the hell is Silver doing here? Not involving Malone in the activities is such a no brainer. I just don't understand it.

They were in Salt Lake City. We shouldn't treat Malone as if he was convicted of a crime.

I'm assuming you're saying it's disagreeable because of his relationship with a teenager when he was a sophomore in college. But Malone was never charged with a crime because of a loophole in Louisiana state law at the time. The only legal issue was one of paternity for child support. I suppose the child support issue could also be grounds for a morality based rejection of Malone.

The NBA named the All-Star MVP trophy after Kobe Bryant. A lot of people complained about that too but remember Kobe Bryant was also never convicted of a crime.

That's good he found a loophole in the legal system. All is forgiven then.

True, true. It's an unsavory tale either way but Malone was able to prove that he reasonably believed that she was 17, the age of consent. The girl's family didn't press charges and there was no police investigation.

[Rainwater]

I remember a few years back Karl's other son tried to defend his father and said that that the story was not what it seemed. Would love to hear how Karl spins this to his family.

[mack2354]

I could understand the 40 years ago argument if Karl Malone was punished at the time. When you pay your debt to society you are supposed to be able to move on with your life afterwards. Karl Malone was never punished and the NBA putting him on a pedestal may blow up in their face worse than what has been happening the last few days.

R Kelly's sex tape with a girl (older than Karl Malone's girl) was 20 years ago and people mostly gave him a pass as well because he was never convicted of a crime. Once that R Kelly documentary came out on Netflix everything changed. Putting this kind of stuff front and center in the media will cause an uproar. People are talking about Karl Malone but it still isn't front page news. I haven't seen a single post from any of my Facebook friends about it yet. If this story picks up steam and the media decides to shove it in peoples' faces the NBA will be forced to back track and disown Karl Malone.

People defending Karl Malone really should have their internet search history investigated. I am the first one to say that our statutory laws are weird. I don't understand how a "woman" at 18 years and 1 day can be gangbanged by a dozen 50 year old men, pissed on, anal, etc and put on internet for the world to see is deemed okay but a 17 year having consensual, conventional sex with their 20 yr old boyfriend/girlfriend is illegal in some states. That line at the 18 year old birthday seems too thin of a line for what is perceived to be right/wrong on either side of it.

Although I think there is some moral gray area around the 18 year old mark I don't see how anyone can feel like 11/12/13 years old is anything but black and white. It's wrong, period. Karl Malone should have been put in prison. Even if Karl Malone wasn't convicted the NBA still should have taken action. The Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for linking a movie on Netflix!!! I don't see how the NBA can shrug their shoulders and claim their hands were tied when the NBA has taken action on its players without said players ever have been convicted of a crime. The fact is the NBA knew what Karl Malone did, looked the other way and is now treating him like a hero.

[BeatDaCavs420]

Some of you posters need therapy

[DrCoach]

Bill Cosby went to jail for crimes committed years ago