Victor Wembanyama wasn't afraid to hold back his feelings about Karl Malone after the NBA wished the legendary Hall of Famer a happy birthday.
On Thursday (July 24), the league posted a message to Malone, writing: "Join us in wishing a Happy 62nd Birthday to 14x #NBAAllStar, 2x NBA MVP, and 75th Anniversary Team member... 'The Mailman,' Karl Malone! #NBABDAY."
In response, Wemby reshared a post by DJ J. Strand on X suggesting that the Malone should be in jail. Strand responded to the NBA's message with a video of content creator Lil Rodney Son. In the video, he says: "What’s? Oh that’s what we not about to do. Lock his ass up because he need to be under the jail."
The post that Wemby reshared is most likely related to the fact that Malone impregnated a 13-year-old named Gloria Bell when he was 20 years old (her family declined to press statutory rape charges). Despite a paternity test confirming that the child, a boy, is his, Malone has refused to acknowledge or have a relationship with him.
In 2004, Vanessa Bryant accused Malone of making multiple sexual comments about her, with one of them being about going "hunting for young Mexican girls." Malone has denied coming on to Bryant, even though the account was confirmed by his own agent.
At the time, Kobe Bryant publicly criticized Malone while speaking with reporters before a Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic game. "What he said is what he said. I believe in my heart that it wasn't a misunderstanding," Bryant explained. "My wife wasn't going to stand for it. She felt uncomfortable being around him to the point that she felt she had to call his wife and tell her."
Malone responded to Bryant when speaking to USA Today about the situation. "Misery loves company," Malone said. "This is a Hollywood soap opera, and I'm not going to be a star in another Bryant soap opera."
In 2023, Malone dismissed the negative perception that the public has about him and his past. "I’m not discussing any of that backlash. I don’t care," he said during an interview at All-Star Weekend. "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."
When asked about elaborating further, Malone was dismissive. "Whatever. I’m human," he said.
