In the 1990s the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz’s Karl Malone and John Stockton provided one of the most exciting rivalries in NBA history, meeting in the Finals twice and consistently being at the top of their respective conferences. Malone had one of the most prolific NBA careers with too many accomplishments to list, most notably being second in all time career scoring and arguably being the greatest power forward to ever play, cementing his status as a legend. Fans in Salt Lake City and all of Utah worship him for giving them the most successful run in the franchise’s history, which is the only professional sports team in the state. And he loved it. Though he lives primarily in Arkansas, Malone still visits Utah regularly and owns car dealerships in the area. The funny thing is, a great deal of his past doesn’t fit with the conservative stereotype of Utah’s residents.

Like many other NBA players, Malone came from a rough background. His mother raised him and eight other children without any held in Summerfield, Louisiana. His father raised a family with another woman instead and committed suicide when Malone was 14, and he was hardly any sort of present in Malone’s life. In the middle of nowhere Malone lived the country lifestyle, working on a farm at times, chopping trees, hunting, and fishing. Basically, he was redneck and he continues to run a ranch in Arkansas, even opening a western wear store and owning a long haul truck business. He also owns a home near the near the Kenai River in Alaska, where he spends his summers fishing and hunting, and he even has served on the Board of Directors for the National Rifle Association. He didn’t go far from him to attend college, choosing Louisiana Tech University over other suitors. While he was unable to play his freshmen year due to low grades, he became a dominant force and would go on to be the 13th overall pick in the 1985 draft.

During his time in college, Malone would father a child with a neighbor girl in his hometown. A thirteen-year-old girl. This is obviously statutory rape and most people would go to jail for it, but Malone managed to get off without any sort of criminal punishment. The reason for that was the girls family was well aware of the millions of dollars he stood to make in the NBA, so they decided against reporting it to police so he could play basketball and support the child. I suppose this may have been the best decision for Malone’s child, but it’s a travesty that such an injustice went unpunished.

The problem was that Malone denied his paternity. In 1986, during his second season in the NBA, they were forced to take him to court, requesting that he pay $200 per week. He didn’t respond, but the judge ruled that he was indeed the father and ordered he pay $125 per week to the family plus medical expenses. That doesn’t seem like too much, but Malone, a man making millions of dollars, claimed that was too much money. It wasn’t until 1989 that he would settle out of court. About the anything he ever gave the child was his athletic ability. His son is named Demetress Bell, who played football at Northwestern State University before getting drafted in the 7th round of the NFL draft, though he only played a few seasons. Malone has never spoken publically about his son, but they did meet and he told Bell that it was too late for them to have a relationship. On the subject, Bell said, “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.”

Demetress Bell after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles via cdn1.sbnation.com

Malone with Cheryl Ford via Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

Bell was not the only child Malone fathered out of wedlock. He impregnated another girl from his hometown when he was 17, which produced twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford, and at least she wasn’t underage. But again he denied paternity until tabloid The Globe ran a story on his paternity cases. Since then he has maintained a relationship with the twins, both of whom would go on to play basketball at his alma mater Louisiana Tech. Cheryl was the 3rd overall pick in the 2003 WNBA draft and had a successful career herself, with 4 All Star selections and 3 WNBA championships. It’s commendable that he has at least tried with the twins, but to abandon his son after taking advantage of a thirteen-year-old girl is disgusting and unforgiveable. For whatever reason, a great deal of the general public tends to overlook and choose to ignore these offenses, and Malone maintains his status as a legend. Typically I feel sorry for great players who have never won a championship, such as his teammate John Stockton, but I must admit that it’s a bit satisfying to know he never got a ring, even if it doesn’t come close to being a proper punishment for his crimes.